Mindrolling with Raghu Markus

Ep. 596 – Psychedelics: A Master Key to Rewiring the Brain with Gül Dölen

May 30, 2025
Gül Dölen, a neuroscientist at UC Berkeley, dives deep into the transformative potential of psychedelics in this engaging discussion. She explains how psychedelics can reopen critical learning periods in the brain, helping to reshape harmful patterns and heal trauma. Gül shares fascinating insights from animal studies, including octopuses, that suggest new pathways for understanding human behavior. The conversation also highlights the importance of mindful integration and mystical practices to support this healing process, presenting psychedelics as a groundbreaking tool for mental health.
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INSIGHT

Objective Psychedelic Research in Animals

  • Psychedelic effects can be studied objectively in animals by focusing on molecular and behavioral markers rather than subjective experiences.
  • Octopus responses to MDMA suggest conserved serotonin mechanisms across species, revealing deep evolutionary roots of social behavior.
ANECDOTE

Childhood Wonder Leads to Science

  • Gül Dölen's childhood fear of sea urchins at a Turkish beach turned to fascination thanks to her zoologist grandmother.
  • This moment sparked her lifelong curiosity about the strange and wonderful aspects of the natural world.
INSIGHT

Octopus Sociality Mystery

  • Octopuses are uniquely asocial despite being cephalopods, which are often social species.
  • This unusual behavior suggests specific evolutionary pressures favoring solitary lifestyles in octopuses.
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