Dr. Dan Engle - Neuroplasticity Explained: How Psychedelics Heal the Brain

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Dan Engle—psychiatrist, neurologist, and integrative medicine pioneer—for a profound discussion on psychedelics, brain health, and healing.

Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-313/?ref=278

Dr. Dan shares his personal journey through traumatic brain injuries and recovery through both Western neurology and indigenous plant medicine traditions. They explore neuroplasticity vs. neurogenesis, ibogaine’s potential in brain injury recovery, and how belief, awe, and prayer shape healing outcomes. Dr. Dan also reflects on lessons psychiatry can learn from shamanic practice—highlighting the importance of service, community, and ceremony in catalyzing transformation.

Dr. Dan Engle is a psychiatrist whose work bridges regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance. He is founder of Full Spectrum Medicine, a psychedelic integration platform, and Thank You Life, a nonprofit expanding access to psychedelic therapies. He is author of The Concussion Repair Manual and A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy.

Episode Highlights: 

• Healing from traumatic brain injury
• Iboga vs. Ibogaine: Benefits and risks
• Neuroplasticity vs. neurogenesis explained
• The science of awe and belief in healing
• Shamanic lessons for modern psychiatry
• Critical learning periods after psychedelic sessions
• Psychedelics as clarogens and renewing agents
• The placebo effect and collective service
• Texas legislation and Ibogaine research
  
  

Episode Sponsors:

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