We're naturally wired to sync with others: our heartbeats, brain waves, and emotions align when we connect. But modern life is breaking this biological superpower. Are we losing our ability to truly empathize and collaborate? What happens when our brains can no longer synchronize with the people around us?
👉 Find the full playlist of episodes HERE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO6l9CNQoSFdYrSofAAHBcTdsnpYk8iYg
Megan Pratt is a Business Humanizer and Partner at Innate Motion, a global strategic consultancy that helps brands grow by deeply understanding people within rich cultural contexts. She combines her neuroscience background with narrative expertise, focusing on how human insight translates into strategic storytelling for meaningful business growth. Originally from Florida and now based in Seville, Spain, Megan has worked with hundreds of brands worldwide, emphasizing empathy, connection, and practical brain science applications to improve collaboration and interpersonal synchrony.
Today, expect to learn:
• What synchrony really is and why our brains naturally align with others during interaction
• How synchronized movements, emotions, heartbeats, and brain waves boost empathy and cooperation
• Why smartphone use and social isolation are destroying our capacity for human connection
• How an eight-week intervention increased empathy between Israeli and Palestinian teenagers through brainwave synchrony
• Why empathy works like a muscle that gets stronger or weaker based on use
• How to deliberately foster synchrony through eye contact, music, movement, and shared goals
• What "group flow" means and how it creates optimal collaborative states
• How to apply these insights in workplaces and remote settings for better teamwork
• Why addressing societal polarization requires rebuilding our biological connection capacity
Synchrony represents our evolutionary advantage for survival through cooperation. Research shows it develops faster between bonded individuals but can emerge among strangers working toward shared goals. Understanding these mechanisms offers practical pathways for improving relationships, reducing social tensions, and creating more empathetic societies through conscious interaction design.
W H A T T O D O N E X T :
GUEST LINKS ~
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpratt/
WEBSITE: https://www.innatemotion.com/team-1/megan-pratt
HOST LINKS ~
WEBSITE: https://sevenjacobs.com
SUBSTACK: https://sevenjacobs.substack.com
SOCIALS: https://sevenjacobs.com/links
SHOW LINKS ~
WEBSITE: https://sevenjacobs.com/lost-and-searching
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@lostandsearchingpodcast
ALL EPISODES (Spotify): https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/lostandsearching
ALL EPISODES (Apple): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lost-and-searching/id1771369908
Sources & Jargon Buster:
Synchrony: The coordination of brains and bodies in time between people during social interaction
Interbrain synchrony: Alignment of brain activity patterns measured through neuroimaging during social connection
Group flow: Collective immersive state that enhances creativity, collaboration, and team performance
Alpha/Beta brain waves: Different frequencies of brain activity linked to relaxation versus focused cognitive states
