Neuroscience background for E3
I'm a clinical neuropsychologist and I co-host a Severance podcast with a neuroscientist, and I'm excited to share some of the neuroscience behind Reintegration.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that uses magnetic fields to induce electrical currents in the brain, modulating neural activity. The device that Ragabi uses looks like a TMS coil. She is also monitoring marks brain activity using EEG. Electroencephalography (EEG) measures electrical activity in the brain via electrodes on the scalp, detecting five primary wave frequencies:
- Delta (0.5–4 Hz) – Deep sleep, unconscious states
- Theta (4–8 Hz) – Drowsiness, meditation, memory processing
- Alpha (8–12 Hz) – Relaxed wakefulness, idling state
- Beta (12–30 Hz) – Active thinking, problem-solving
- Gamma (30+ Hz) – High-level cognition, consciousness integration
In Severance, the reintegration procedure appears to use TMS to disrupt and rewire the neural separation between Mark’s “innie” and “outie” identities. This is combined with forced recall of declarative memories specific to each self, likely activating the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The emphasis on emotionally charged memories (love and shame) suggests involvement of the amygdala and limbic system, which are deeply intertwined with both emotional regulation and autobiographical memory retrieval. This aligns with real-world theories that memory reactivation under altered brain states can facilitate neural plasticity and integration of previously inaccessible experiences.
TMS is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression, OCD, and smoking cessation, with growing evidence for its use in anxiety disorders, PTSD, and chronic pain. It’s also used experimentally for stroke rehabilitation, migraine treatment, schizophrenia (auditory hallucinations), and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. By modulating brain activity, TMS helps regulate mood, pain perception, and neural plasticity, making it a promising tool for various neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Watch us discussing this on our podcast here: