Neurosciencecalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Kindling Effect?
/ˈkɪndəlɪŋ ɪˈfekt/
A neurological phenomenon where repeated exposure to a stimulus (like stress or seizures) makes your brain increasingly sensitive to that stimulus over time, requiring less and less to trigger a response. Each exposure 'lowers the threshold' for the next.
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Everyday Example
If you have panic attacks triggered by crowded places, repeated panic attacks in crowds can make your brain increasingly sensitive—eventually you might feel panic symptoms just thinking about crowds, even when you're alone and safe.
publicReal-World Application
“Neuroscientists study the kindling effect to understand why some people with epilepsy develop more frequent seizures, and why trauma survivors sometimes find their anxiety gets worse rather than better without treatment.”
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Did you know?
The kindling effect was first discovered in the 1960s by neuroscientist Graham Goddard, who noticed that repeated small electrical stimulations of rat brains eventually triggered seizures.
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Key Insight
Your brain gets progressively more reactive to stress the more you experience it—meaning repeated exposure can make you worse, not better, without intervention.
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