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On Being · July 10, 2025 · 60m
Gül Dölen — The Brain's Capacity to Change
Neuroscientist Gül Dölen on psychedelically-assisted therapies and the brain's capacity for change. Her research shows that psychedelics reopen 'critical periods' — windows of neuroplasticity that normally close after childhood.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Canon
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Dölen: psychedelics appear to reopen critical periods of neuroplasticity — the same windows that allow children to learn languages effortlessly. This suggests the brain's capacity for change is much greater than we assumed.
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Dölen: most of the body's serotonin receptors (the targets of psychedelics) are in the gut, not the brain. The gut-brain axis may explain why psychedelic experiences feel so embodied — the gut is participating in the experience.
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