
This post has been updated from its original publish date.
Dr. Daniel Amen sat down with Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof 360, Inc. in 2013 and founder of Bulletproof Nutrition Inc. in 2014, to talk about the power of brain SPECT imaging and the relationship that we have with our brains.
Dr. Amen: Talk to me about the difference that the scan made in your life.
Dave Asprey: Dr. Amen, your SPECT scan 12 years ago rocked my world. I was a very high performing engineer. I was getting my MBA at Wharton while working full time at a startup that we sold for 600 million dollarsโand I was struggling. I would sit down to do one of my tests and I would get 100% of the first question, I would get 50% of the next one, and I couldnโt remember my name on the third question, and I felt guilty. I felt that thereโs something wrong with me. I ended up even having extra time assigned for the tests and I still struggled. I did graduate, but barely.
During that time, I read your book, your first book, and I said, โIโm going to get a scan.โ And I did. The psychiatrist who evaluated me said, โDave, inside your brain thereโs total chaosโI donโt know how youโre standing here in front of meโฆโ and that led to me going, โItโs not me. Itโs my meat. Itโs my biology.โ And that was something that you can fix, something you can repair. So it turned from being a lack of effort or a lack of willpower or just being a bad person, into being someone who had a medical issue that could and would be dealt with.
Dr. Amen: If somebody was thinking about coming to the clinic to get a scan and they read some of the noise on the internet, what would you say?
Dave Asprey: For everyone whoโs making a difference, there will be a handful of critics and thereโs an amazing study. It says: Those who approach the world with a skeptical view have three times the level of senile cognitive dementia later in life. So, you need to look at the source, where itโs coming from and what conflicts of interests there are, because when I look at critics online, they are very angry people who obviously need the most brain scans, and there are people with a conflict of interest, and those are pretty much the only two kinds, and sometimes there are even connections between those people.
But when you published as much science as you have, when youโve written a dozen books, when youโve got thousands and thousands of people whoโve benefitedโincluding people like me who would want to talk about this in publicโand a lot of people who benefit but still donโt want to admit that their brain might not be perfect. I donโt care. I kicked ass when my brain wasnโt that perfect, and that sort of thing is amazing.
So to people who are thinking of coming and getting a scan and they see some rant, somewhere online: Balance the evidence, and the evidence is very clear.
Dr. Amen: When you saw your scan, what did it do to your relationship with your brain?
David Asprey: My relationship with my brain changed a lot because I donโt identify myself as being my brain. And whenโto this dayโsomething happens that I donโt like, that isnโt like me, โWhat did my brain do?โโnot โWhat did I do?โ And the difference there is profound, because I can control what my brain does, but I am not my brain; and that for me was a huge thing because it allowed me to be more forgiving for myself. And, when I look at other people: Is that person actually an evil person, or is that a person whoโs profoundly toxic, or a person who has been abused, or a person who whacked their head too many times, and theyโre acting that way without their own knowledge, without their own consent, without their own permission.
Thereโs so much of that behavior in the world around me and around us, but people arenโt aware of it, their medical professionals arenโt aware of itโtheir psychologists, their spouses, their childrenโso thereโs a lot of people feeling terribly guilty about things theyโve done, who donโt know thereโs a biological basis for their behavior. Itโs not a personality defect.
Dr. Amen: And be healed if you do the right thing.
David Asprey: Absolutely! Iโm a living proof of this.
For more, watch below:
We Can Help Today
At Amen Clinics, we can help you and your loved ones overcome the stigma and suffering associated with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain injury, weight loss, addictions, memory issues, brain fog, and other emotional and cognitive issues. If you are ready to regain control over your life or help a loved one do the same, give us a call at 888-288-9834 or click here to ask a question.
What does a brain SPECT cost?
My son who is schizophrenic says
(For 14 years) there is NOTHING
WRONG with him…Would like
some evidence so that he would
be compliant with medications.
Comment by Barbara Sherrod — May 28, 2018 @ 12:16 PM
My husband & I are trying to get him
to Veterans facility in Menlo Park.
He is presently homeless.
Thank you for any hope in this situation.
Barbara S
Comment by Barbara Sherrod — May 28, 2018 @ 12:19 PM
How much does a scan cost? I would very much like to come to DC to have
One done. Thanks penny
Comment by Penny showan — May 29, 2018 @ 6:13 AM
In Mexico City the scan itself costs $500 USD. If he is a veteran homeless shelters are paid by the va to help get veterans off the streets. They give him a bed and eventually paid housing for six months or so.
Comment by Carlos — August 26, 2018 @ 9:13 AM
Nothing compared to having an issue and not addressing it. Work it out, the money will come
Comment by Ed — September 28, 2018 @ 5:19 AM
It cost aprox 3.000 U$ in Amen Clinics.
Comment by Pat — September 29, 2018 @ 2:56 AM
My Story
I win the lottery and can afford to come to one of your clinics
I had severe head trauma from my mother pounding my head into walls, retinal damage from violeent shaking and find it difficult to hold enough jobs to live independently. (I’m blessed to have a husband who is willing to support me.)
Comment by jo — September 29, 2018 @ 8:34 AM
Perhaps even more importantly, costs associated with Amen Clinic’s diagnosis of the SPECT scan, then the feedback communications expenses.
Best bet, as long as the funds are unavailable.
Comment by Lawrence — September 29, 2018 @ 10:18 PM