The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast

#1 Neuroscientist: How to Unlock the Power of Your Mind Using The Science of Dreaming

June 29, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Third of Your Life You've Been Ignoring

Dr. Rahul Jandyal, a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who operates on brain cancer patients at City of Hope, opens with a startling claim: we spend roughly a third of our lives dreaming, not just sleeping. "Your brain is on fire when you sleep," he says. "Your body's resting, but it's not inactivity." The electrical activity in your brain during dreaming is just as intense as when you're awake—the difference is which regions are running the show. The executive network (the "CEO" of your brain) dampens down, while the imagination network and limbic system (emotion, creativity, sexuality) heat up. This shift is not random noise. It's a designed process that keeps those underused circuits warm and accessible for waking life.

What Dreams Actually Do

Jandyal argues that dreaming is not an accidental byproduct of sleep but something essential. The brain uses dream states to rehearse and preserve neural circuits—especially those for emotion, creativity, and imagination—that don't get enough workout during the day. "It's like high intensity training," he says. "They're liberated, rehearsed, kept warm when we dream, so they're accessible for us during the day."

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Introduction to Dreaming** - Mel Robbins introduces the topic of dreams and the guest, Dr. Rahul Jandyal.
  • 2 (06:11) **How Dreams Can Change Your Life** - Dr. Jandyal explains that we spend a third of our lives dreaming and that it is an essential, influenceable process.
  • 3 (09:51) **Dr. Jandyal’s Personal Experience with Dreams** - He shares how leaning into his dream life has made him more creative and emotionally balanced.
  • 4 (12:10) **Do People Who Don’t Remember Dreams Still Dream?** - Dr. Jandyal explains that the dreaming process happens for all humans, regardless of recall.
  • 5 (13:09) **The Purpose of Dreaming** - Dr. Jandyal explains that dreaming keeps emotional and creative brain regions "warm" for use during the day.
  • 6 (14:26) **When a Dream Means Something** - Dr. Jandyal outlines five categories of dreams, from obvious anxiety to those with a strong emotional imprint.
  • 7 (17:17) **Phases of Sleep and Dreaming** - Dr. Jandyal explains the sleep stages and how dreams can occur throughout the night.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Today’s episode will change how you think about your dreams and your entire life.

Do you ever wake up from a dream and wonder: What did that mean?

Or maybe you’ve had a nightmare and asked yourself: Why did I dream that? Could I stop it? Is my brain trying to tell me something?

Maybe you keep having the same dream over and over again.

Or maybe you’re the person who says, “I don’t dream.”

According to today’s expert, you’re wrong. We all dream.

And once you understand what your brain is doing while you’re dreaming, you’ll never think about sleep, your mind, or what’s possible in the same way again.

Today, for the very first time on the show, Mel is diving deep into the science of dreaming, nightmares, what your dreams mean, what they’re trying to tell you, and more importantly, how to harness your dreams to unlock the full power of your mind.

You’re meeting Dr. Rahul Jandial, MD, PhD - one of the most highly regarded, cited, and distinguished doctors in the world. He is a world-renowned pioneering neurosurgeon, cancer surgeon, and neuroscientist, who is here to teach you what your brain is doing when you dream.

You’ll also learn how to tap into the power of your dreams to create deeper connections, solve problems, unlock more creativity, and better understand yourself.

In this episode, Dr. Jandial will show you that dreaming is not random. It is not meaningless. And it is not something to ignore.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- What your dreams are really trying to tell you

- How to know which dreams are worth paying attention to

- What recurring dreams and nightmares may reveal about your emotional life

- Why nightmares can be an early warning sign that something deeper needs your attention

- How dreams can help you solve problems, process stress, and unlock creativity

- The simple way to train yourself to remember your dreams

- How to use the first 10 minutes after waking up to access fresh ideas and insight

- What lucid dreaming is and the exact steps to try it

This conversation will change how you think about your life - both the one you’re living while you’re awake and the one you’re living while you’re dreaming.

And once you hear it, you will never look at what’s possible the same way again.

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page.  

If you liked the episode, check out Dr. Rahul Jandial’s first appearance on The Mel RObbins podcast: This One Episode Will Change How You Think About the World & Your Life (From #1 Cancer Surgeon)

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