The Gray Area with Sean Illing
How psychedelics can reinvent learning
Jan 8, 2024
Gul Dolen, a neuroscientist specializing in psychedelics and brain plasticity, explores fascinating insights into how these substances can enhance learning and recovery. She reveals how critical periods in development can be reopened with MDMA and other psychedelics, helping both juvenile animals and stroke patients. The discussion also dives into the rise of psychedelic research in mental health, highlighting the transformative potential of these substances while emphasizing the importance of context and skilled guidance for safe exploration.
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Quick takeaways
- Psychedelics can induce moments of enhanced learning by temporarily resetting the brain to a childlike state of malleability.
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy offers a learning-focused approach that can create lasting therapeutic effects beyond simply managing symptoms.
Deep dives
Psychedelics as a Reset Button for the Brain
Psychedelics have the potential to hit a reset button in the brain, temporarily bringing it back to a childlike state of malleability and enhanced learning. This phenomenon has been observed in studies with octopuses and mice, where MDMA was shown to make them more social and increase their ability to learn. These findings suggest that psychedelics could have therapeutic benefits for conditions like stroke, autism, and deafness by reopening critical periods of learning and enhancing brain plasticity.
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