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A 40 Day Dopamine Fast
One day, after yet another failed attempt at self-control, Greg Kamphuis got frustrated. Why was it so difficult to do things he wanted to do and so easy to do things he didn't want to do? To find out, he decides to do a drastic experiment on himself. Refined sugar, processed fats, alcohol, TV (including video games), caffeine, tobacco, pornography and social media all get the chop in his ruthless effort to hunt down the source of motivation and meaning.
The 40 Day Dopamine Fast is a candid accounting of Greg's journey to find joy without the aid of modern super stimulants. Part One is an introduction to himself and an explanation of why he would torture himself in this way. He draws a parallel between Nikolass Tinbergen's experiments on super stimuli and our modern world, and then explains how this relates to the neurotransmitter dopamine. He also tries a philosophical justification for a 'dopamine detox', arguing that happiness should be possible in the absence of pleasure. In both his scientific and philosophical reasoning, he demonstrates the same idea. It is very possible that we are numbing ourselves to real life with all the easy and excessive stimulants offered in the 21st century.
Part Two consists of 40 unscripted, unedited journal entries from a man who has scraped the surface level pleasure from his life and is willing to go however deep it takes to find the answers to his questions. The separate entries are humorous, deep, and sometimes sad, while the larger narrative, although random, charts a slow course of change.
Finally, in Part Three, Greg goes back and reads the journal, pulling ideas together and weaving a picture of what a real life should look like.
The 40 Day Dopamine Fast is a candid accounting of Greg's journey to find joy without the aid of modern super stimulants. Part One is an introduction to himself and an explanation of why he would torture himself in this way. He draws a parallel between Nikolass Tinbergen's experiments on super stimuli and our modern world, and then explains how this relates to the neurotransmitter dopamine. He also tries a philosophical justification for a 'dopamine detox', arguing that happiness should be possible in the absence of pleasure. In both his scientific and philosophical reasoning, he demonstrates the same idea. It is very possible that we are numbing ourselves to real life with all the easy and excessive stimulants offered in the 21st century.
Part Two consists of 40 unscripted, unedited journal entries from a man who has scraped the surface level pleasure from his life and is willing to go however deep it takes to find the answers to his questions. The separate entries are humorous, deep, and sometimes sad, while the larger narrative, although random, charts a slow course of change.
Finally, in Part Three, Greg goes back and reads the journal, pulling ideas together and weaving a picture of what a real life should look like.
- GenresPsychologyHealth
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2017
107 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 28, 2021
I had a hard time finishing this book, as short as it was. The interesting part was the first-person account of the author's struggle with an unsatisfying lifestyle. He comes across as lost and confused, and he does a good job at making you empathize with what he's going through. On the other hand, the book is a kitchen sink of questionable science/pseudoscience, philosophical cliches, unnecessary repetition, and grammar/spelling mistakes. I can't imagine it would be particularly useful as a self-help book, but that is almost par for the course for that genre. If you are interested in the science of how to form better habits, I recommend How to Change by Katy Milkman. It's an easy read, and it has pointers to actual scientific evidence for what appears to work and what doesn't.
July 30, 2020
Really skimmed rather than read. It was a soso anecdotal discussion, but really untethered from any real empirical content about dopamine—how it works, how we could realistically manipulate it (probably we can’t, any more than we can effectively regulate any other neurotransmitter). What bothered me most was his blithe assumptions of what he should consider dopaminergic—there wasn’t much deep analysis or even careful introspection, in the parts I read. Definitely not like reading “affective Neuroscience” by Jaak Panksepp haha, which he might have done well to read first (it’s probably pretty outdated by now, but it’s an old fave)
Anyway, i know it was just for fun, for kicks, not any deep dive into the human neurochemical soup to see exactly where Psyche lives.
Anyway, i know it was just for fun, for kicks, not any deep dive into the human neurochemical soup to see exactly where Psyche lives.
June 23, 2021
60%, I still don't have a clue what about he wants to talk in the interviews he mentioned 20 times, I can't imagine how he can talk about anything useful while he is going through withdrawals after 14 years of drugs...but he is certain that one month can change his life because he believes in dopamine fast.
If you want to know anything about dopamine, read anything else instead, there is nothing.
He lacks basic knowledge about any subject he mentioned, Wikipedia is probably not on his reading list, it doesn't take much to read withdrawal symptoms, ...and not so simple dopamine.
His thoughts are ideas, self revelations, maked up science theories he created from very limited knowledge.
He is not doing anything unhealthy, only eating fruit like fruitarian, not mentioned vegetables once and he discovered in the end that exercise is healthy.
I am still wondering what kind of useful work he does on website, if the content is anyhow useful, if he even speak to someone without drinking...
So silly and boring journal I can't wait to finish it, I hope his future journal will contain more knowledge. Also I admire his honesty, but anyway I don't know much about him, he writes about his well known withdrawals, actual thinkings and feelings, but I still don't know about the interviews intention, what he worked on his website, something more about his home and Cambodia, cheap beer and lizard that walks in his room is almost all I got.
So I finished it, this was in the very end:
"Like the basic physical needs, security, social acceptance, and esteem, we’ll call them the phycological needs, are essential to our individual survival. Without them we will die or at least be miserable. Also like the basic physical needs, the phycological needs can take over our minds and lead us down a hole that will never return to the surface. The difference between the physical needs and the phycological needs is how much harder it is to pin down and destroy something that lives inside your head."
phycological was used many times in the book, but psychological not even once. How can he tell advice on psychology, when he calls it phycology?
phycology /fʌɪˈkɒlədʒi/ I. noun — [ mass noun] 1. the branch of botany concerned with seaweeds and other algae. II. derivatives 1. phycological adjective
Anyway, a would still rated the book with more stars if the title of the book was different.
If you want to know anything about dopamine, read anything else instead, there is nothing.
He lacks basic knowledge about any subject he mentioned, Wikipedia is probably not on his reading list, it doesn't take much to read withdrawal symptoms, ...and not so simple dopamine.
His thoughts are ideas, self revelations, maked up science theories he created from very limited knowledge.
He is not doing anything unhealthy, only eating fruit like fruitarian, not mentioned vegetables once and he discovered in the end that exercise is healthy.
I am still wondering what kind of useful work he does on website, if the content is anyhow useful, if he even speak to someone without drinking...
So silly and boring journal I can't wait to finish it, I hope his future journal will contain more knowledge. Also I admire his honesty, but anyway I don't know much about him, he writes about his well known withdrawals, actual thinkings and feelings, but I still don't know about the interviews intention, what he worked on his website, something more about his home and Cambodia, cheap beer and lizard that walks in his room is almost all I got.
So I finished it, this was in the very end:
"Like the basic physical needs, security, social acceptance, and esteem, we’ll call them the phycological needs, are essential to our individual survival. Without them we will die or at least be miserable. Also like the basic physical needs, the phycological needs can take over our minds and lead us down a hole that will never return to the surface. The difference between the physical needs and the phycological needs is how much harder it is to pin down and destroy something that lives inside your head."
phycological was used many times in the book, but psychological not even once. How can he tell advice on psychology, when he calls it phycology?
phycology /fʌɪˈkɒlədʒi/ I. noun — [ mass noun] 1. the branch of botany concerned with seaweeds and other algae. II. derivatives 1. phycological adjective
Anyway, a would still rated the book with more stars if the title of the book was different.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2020
I really struggled with this read even though it is only 150 pages. The first few journal entries are kind of interesting but from then on it's the same old thing. Also it is quite difficult to connect to the author, even though I'm similarly prone to addictive behaviour like he is, because of his specific work/life situation (aka freelancer living abroad, without much responsibilities, so he can linger around dealing with his fast at his own pace).
In the end there is no catharsis, because he returned to his addictive behaviours but know with some clarity why he does it. There was this one kind of useful remark about people who are prone to addictive behaviour are often the ones not living in the now and the addictions are a way of numbing the pain.
Though, I must compliment author's honesty and openness in his writing.
In the end there is no catharsis, because he returned to his addictive behaviours but know with some clarity why he does it. There was this one kind of useful remark about people who are prone to addictive behaviour are often the ones not living in the now and the addictions are a way of numbing the pain.
Though, I must compliment author's honesty and openness in his writing.
December 26, 2018
Insightful, If Messy
This was a fascinating romp through someone's attempt to learn more about his true desires through putting away as many lesser pleasures as he could. The science is shaky at best, but he admits that up front. As an on-the-ground documentation of one man's experiments with a sort of stoicism and the things he learned from that experiment, this is an interesting read. Be prepared to overlook typos and missing words though - this book was not well edited. Overall a good read despite that.
This was a fascinating romp through someone's attempt to learn more about his true desires through putting away as many lesser pleasures as he could. The science is shaky at best, but he admits that up front. As an on-the-ground documentation of one man's experiments with a sort of stoicism and the things he learned from that experiment, this is an interesting read. Be prepared to overlook typos and missing words though - this book was not well edited. Overall a good read despite that.
October 20, 2020
A very honest journal of a man’s 40 day experiment of curbing all his main self identifies addictions in order to fight their power over his daily to day thinking process. As it is a journal there are no literary accomplishments but the content is quite interesting as he details his ups and his downs without trying to save face. He details his thoughts and research (dopamine réception, addictions, addiction experiments) along the way. In the end he writes a few after thought chapters focusing on identity, true desires and mentions his start on his next 60 day fast.
January 18, 2020
A good read, it was interesting to see how day by day evolution and thought process. It got a little redundant at times but as someone who was struggled the the pursuit of instant gratification, I understand that the fight can be very repetitious at times. Still, a very admirable pursuit and accomplishment indeed.
February 24, 2019
Tricky one for me to rate. There were no revelations for me personally, but I love Greg's brutal honesty. The last few pages of the book are particularly powerful.
November 4, 2019
Loved it.
Loved how honest the writer is. It also encouraged me to try a 40 day challenge. Very good book to understand addictions.
Loved how honest the writer is. It also encouraged me to try a 40 day challenge. Very good book to understand addictions.
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May 24, 2019An enjoyable insightful read
This is a small book that packs a punch. I didn’t expect much from it initially, but after reading this honest account of one man’s journey to find meaning beyond the latest (dopamine)fix, I can’t help but be thankful for the candor and wish him the best in his continued journey through life.
This is a small book that packs a punch. I didn’t expect much from it initially, but after reading this honest account of one man’s journey to find meaning beyond the latest (dopamine)fix, I can’t help but be thankful for the candor and wish him the best in his continued journey through life.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews