Critical… From the Mountains
Erik Vaughan
July 1, 2024
Revelations about critical periods and the power of psilocybin-assisted therapy integration
“What plasticity reveals is that we are the masters of our own minds. That each one of us, as individuals, has the potential to change our brains … to become the person we want to be. What we do day-to-day, minute-to-minute, grows and builds our brain. What a gift! And what a responsibility! As we literally create our personal masterpiece … our mature brain.”
–Dr. Marian Diamond (1926-2017)
To understand how certain mushrooms can help us change our brains, we first have to understand neuroplasticity. And to understand neuroplasticity, there’s no better place to start than with the work of pioneering scientist and longtime UC Berkeley anatomy professor, Dr. Marian Diamond.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), neuroplasticity is “the capacity of brain cells to change in response to intrinsic and external factors.” Prior to the work of Diamond and her team, the conventional wisdom in the scientific community had been that human brains were static. Academic institutions taught that we were born with a fixed brain capacity, and the general public “knew” that our mental potential was predetermined. It was accepted that we must all succumb to cognitive demise in our twilight years.
All that changed when Diamond and her team – through a series of simple, elegant experiments with lab rats in the 1950s and 1960s – found that subject brains in fact changed significantly based on the environments they lived in and how they were treated – regardless of age. Over time, Diamond found that there are five factors essential to building a better brain:
In recent years, additional scientific studies (linked below) have built upon Diamond’s work and found that the following types of enrichment activities can measurably grow your brain:
While these types of impairments can shrink parts of your brain:
This new paradigm paved the way for breakthrough discoveries related to how certain mushrooms can play a role in this brain plasticity – and how they can help change the brain to battle addiction, fend off brain fog, and establish new neural pathways to allow us to function at a higher cognitive level.
If you’d like to learn more about the agency we all have to shape our own brains – here is a fantastic 56-minute documentary called “My Love Affair with the Brain: The Life & Science of Dr. Marian Diamond.”
Treat yourself to it when you have the time … and grow your brain today!
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Revelations about critical periods and the power of psilocybin-assisted therapy integration
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Ryan is a CPA with broad financial management expertise including a tenure at Ernst & Young. He has a master’s degree in accounting from Notre Dame and has supported everything from small businesses to global organizations. Ryan especially loves being active and outdoors including biking, running and skiing.
Dina has been treating youth and adults with chronic health illnesses – particularly pain and behavioral health conditions – for the past 15 years. Through her private practice and work in various academic medical centers, as well as Doctors Without Borders, Dina provides compassionate care for those wanting to create change and a greater sense of freedom in life.
For the past 25 years, Jana has been a beacon for adults facing the biopsychosocial challenges of cancer, chronic illness and loss in her role as a clinical health psychologist. She is the founder of Shift Healing | Health Psychology, and gratefully calls Golden, Colo., home.
Erik earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and completed his MBA at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. With 25 years of experience in finance and entrepreneurship, Erik’s enthusiasm and analytical eye have helped drive the success of numerous ventures. A Pittsburgh native and long-time Cleveland area resident, Erik holds a deep affection for all things Ohio – except when his beloved Steelers are playing.
For two decades, Stacey has artfully applied her discerning eye to high-level positions in marketing and design. She also founded a successful custom letterpress paper studio called RSVP Paper Company. Stacey earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Ohio University – and while she is the architect of all you see at Epiphany, she would rather die than sit for a public-facing interview.
As the head of government relations, Lauren brings decades of non-profit experience in fundraising, events, legislative action and direct service. She is a graduate of Xavier University with a B.A. in Political Science and is active in her community as a PTA volunteer, tutor and tennis coach.
A mushroom forager for five years, Jessica was drawn to Epiphany’s commitment to produce mushrooms through proven scientific methods and industry advocacy. She supports the company’s mushroom growth and production processes, and is also a volunteer sequence validator for the Ohio Mushroom DNA Lab.
Sarah began her career 25 years ago with Edelman in Chicago and has substantial experience in public relations, corporate and internal communications, content development, events and more. When she’s not on carpool duty, Sarah loves spending time with family and friends, cooking and attempting tennis.
For more than 30 years, Julie has been a pioneer in the Michigan alternative healing and psychedelic community. In addition to her work with Epiphany, Julie has devoted her practice at Blue Sage Health Consulting to helping clients find healing and relief while incorporating alternative practices.
Hope is a seasoned guide in holistic wellness, transformational coaching and spiritual enlightenment. Her previous career in the hospice sector helped patients bridge the gap between the spiritual and material worlds. At Epiphany, Hope is grateful to share her unique skill set, compassion and deep love of the work to meet the needs of each customer.
With close to 40 years of experience, Joni was lured out of retirement to handle accounting and payroll for Epiphany. Joni is an avid reader and gardener, and also loves hiking, pickleball and playing bridge and mahjong.
Zach is a classically trained microbiologist with a B.S. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Michigan State University and M.S. in Bioinformatics from Johns Hopkins University. With extensive experience in molecular biology, next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics, Zach leads Epiphany’s experimental design and stays focused on the latest scientific research in mycology. When not in the lab, Zach enjoys all things nature especially the Great Lakes.
