12 documentaries on neuroscience and neuropsychology
Spanish-language neuroscience documentaries can be an excellent resource for first-time introductions to the study of the brain.
After all, many audiovisual production teams have collaborated with scientists over the years to create non-fiction works that summarize the latest discoveries about how our nervous system works.
Related article: “15 Psychology documentaries you can’t miss”
Documentaries on neuroscience and the human brain
Below you can see a selection of some of the best documentaries on neuroscience for curious people s , many of them available in Spanish.
Each of these documentaries focuses on a relevant aspect of neuropsychology, neurology and other related fields.
1. Mind Games
This is one of the most famous documentary series on neuroscience and psychology in the world. It is a production by National Geographic in which explains how basic mental processes work by means of tests and exercises that viewers can perform. Because of its popularity, the series has several seasons.
2. Cain’s brain
One of the best neuroscience documentaries in Spanish to understand the neurological basis of violent behavior. Aggression, anger and the ability to treat people as objects that can be damaged are explored from the perspective of the study of the brain.
3. The Boy With The Incredible Brain
This is a documentary focused on the life of Daniel Tammet , an autistic savant with a unique brain that makes him a young man with extraordinary abilities. Tammet is able to learn a language in a few weeks and perform incredible mental calculations, among other things. One of the best neuroscience documentaries available in Spanish to understand the potential of the human brain.
4. In Search of Memory
This documentary is a biopic about Eric Kandel , one of the most important neuroscientists of the 20th century regarding the study of memory.
5. Victim of the Brain
A documentary focused on a fascinating topic: the philosophy of the mind and its relationship with the neurosciences . This film reviews the work of Daniel Dennett and the scientist and populariser Douglas Hofstadter and, despite the fact that many years have passed since it was made, it is still an excellent way of introducing the subject.
6. Stress: a portrait of a killer
An excellent documentary on stress and its effects on the different areas of our lives, and also on our health. It shows some keys that point out to what extent constant exposure to high levels of stress degrades our nervous system and immune system.
7. History of the Brain
Susan Greenfiels , one of the most important neuroscientists in Great Britain, goes through some of the most interesting questions about how we think, how we feel and why we act the way we do. Brain Story is one of the BBC’s best neuroscience documentaries.
8. The Creative brain: how insight works
Psychology and neurosciences applied to the study of creative capacity . A very suitable documentary for those people who want to explore new ways of improving their ability to think laterally.
9. The Magic of the Unconscious
Watching this documentary is a very good way to learn about that part of the mental processes that occur automatically without us noticing but that make up a good part of our actions. Moreover, this work shows that when it comes to studying unconscious processes, Sigmund Freud’s work has become totally outdated.
10. SEIZED: inside the mystery of epilepsy
Epilepsy is one of the strangest diseases known, since its appearance is based on a pattern of neuronal activation that is not known how or why it starts. This documentary gives a very good summary of the most recent findings on the subject.
11. Do you see what I see?
A documentary that explores the way we perceive colours, an element that we cannot explain but that we all experience. The research shown in it indicates that our way of living colours depends on our state of emotional activation. A good audiovisual product to deepen the psychology of colours.
12. The man with 7 seconds of memory
This film explains the experiences of Clive Wearing , a man who, after surviving encephalitis, was unable to form new memories.