The Alienated Brain

In this episode of Neurokrish Immersion, we break down Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver on its 50th anniversary through the combined lenses of neuroscience, attachment theory, and sociology. Driven by Paul Schrader’s stark screenplay, Robert De Niro’s iconic performance, and Bernard Herrmann’s haunting score, Travis Bickle’s descent into obsession serves as a compelling study of human psychology. We explore how hyper-isolation rewires the brain through predictive processing, why war trauma and identity shifts fuel intense loneliness, and what Travis’s tragic quest for purpose reveals about our modern struggle for connection.