Saving your Brain with Dungeons & Dragons | Cade Heaton | TEDxBallStateUniversity

Ball State University senior Cade Heaton explains how Dungeons & Dragons can be a therapeutic tool. Roleplaying in the game allows brains to grow and evolve. He argues that “These are worlds where we can practice ourselves and who we want to be.“ Cade Heaton is a senior at Ball State University majoring in philosophy, with minors in political science and history. One day, he hopes to have a Ph.D. Right now, he spends his time outside of class on Ball State’s nationally ranked speech team, and as a part of Ball State’s undergraduate philosophy journal Stance. Off-campus, he tries to find as much time for political activism, Dungeons and Dragons, and concerts as possible. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at