What power does to your brain and your body

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From the bully on the playground to the big-wig in the corner office, power dynamics are everywhere in our lives.

A flood of allegations that powerful men in media, politics, and tech have been abusing their positions of power and preying on those below them have surfaced in recent months. High-profile figures including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Roy Moore, Senator Al Franken and President Donald Trump have been accused of various kinds of unwanted advances, including exposing themselves to coworkers and employees, groping, and rape.

People are starting to wonder: Is there something about the rush of being in power that leads people to commit these despicable actions?

Science suggests that there are unusual things happening in the brains of power-holders. Decades of study have shown that the psychology and physiology of powerful people are notably different from those of average people — down to the architecture of the brain’s prefrontal cortex, and the way the heart pumps blood.

Here’s what feeling powerful does to your body and your brain, according to science.