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In this episode of The Neuro Collective Podcast, Dr. Michael Bagnell sit down with Shawn Ryan, former Navy SEAL and podcast host, for an in-depth conversation on short-term memory loss and what it reveals about brain health.

Shawn shares his personal experience with forgetting thoughts mid-sentence—whether in conversation, on camera, or in everyday life and how those symptoms briefly improved following psychedelic treatment before returning. This opens the door to a deeper discussion on how the brain manages working memory, speech, and attention, and why these disruptions may occur.

What does it really mean when your mind goes blank in the middle of a sentence?

In this episode, Dr. Michael Bagnell explains short-term and working memory through the lens of functional neurology, focusing on how brain regions and networks must work together in real time. Rather than isolating memory or speech as standalone problems, this conversation explores the brain globally—looking at executive function, the frontal and temporal lobes, and how disconnections between networks can create everyday cognitive symptoms.

The discussion also dives into how trauma, concussions, PTSD, ADHD, inflammation, stress, and lifestyle factors can layer over time, affecting brain performance long after the original event. Dr. Bagnell explains why brain mapping matters, how EEG and QEEG data can guide care, and why identifying the right intervention depends on understanding the individual brain.

Shawn and Dr. Bagnell also explore non-traditional therapies, including psychedelics and marijuana, offering a balanced, data-informed perspective on their potential benefits, limitations, and risks. The episode addresses the default mode network, memory suppression, neuroplasticity, and why some people experience powerful breakthroughs while others may not.

This conversation is thoughtful, grounded, and honest—designed to help listeners better understand their brain, their symptoms, and the importance of personalized brain-based care.

As this conversation comes to a close, we’re reminded that memory lapses and cognitive symptoms are often signals, not failures. They reflect how the brain adapts, protects, and responds to experiences over time.

Our goal with this episode is clarity—helping you understand what may be happening in your brain and why individualized data, thoughtful evaluation, and the right support matter. Healing begins with understanding.

Thank you to Shawn Ryan for his openness and willingness to explore these topics with honesty and depth. And thank you to our listeners for joining us on The Neuro Collective Podcast. If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, share it with someone who may benefit, and continue the conversation with us in future episodes.

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Welcome to a special bonus episode of The Neuro Collective Podcast as we step into 2026 together.

In this episode, May Bagnell, IHP reflects on the recently completed December series, Lighting the Way, and shares what was still on her heart as the new year began. Rather than focusing on resolutions, rigid plans, or “fixing” ourselves, this conversation invites you into a different way forward—one rooted in intention, nervous system support, and sustainable healing.

You’ll explore the powerful difference between pressure and direction, and why the brain responds more effectively when we choose clarity over force. May walks you through reflective questions designed to help you understand what your brain and body truly need more of in 2026, what quietly drains your nervous system, and what feels nourishing instead of demanding.

This episode introduces the concept of a guiding word for the year—a simple yet powerful filter for decision-making, habits, and boundaries. You’ll also learn how small, consistent daily practices can turn intention into lived experience, without perfection or overwhelm.

If you’re longing to begin 2026 feeling more grounded, calm, confident, and aligned—this episode offers a gentle but meaningful starting point.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why intention is more effective than traditional New Year’s resolutions
• How the brain responds to direction rather than pressure
• Reflective questions to support nervous system regulation
• How to choose a guiding word for 2026
• Simple daily practices that support healing and consistency
• Why compassion, predictability, and patience matter for brain health

As always, our mission is to remind you that healing is possible—and you don’t have to do it alone.

Remember:
You can heal, and we can help.

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As we close out 2025 and step into a new year, Dr. Michael and May Bagnell, IHP welcome you to the final episode of the Lighting the Way series. This conversation marks both an ending and a beginning—a moment to pause, reflect, and intentionally step forward into 2026 with clarity, confidence, and hope.

This episode is not about learning one more thing. It is about integration. Over the past seven episodes, we have explored powerful breakthroughs in neuroscience that are reshaping how we understand healing, recovery, and long-term brain health. From lifestyle medicine and gut-brain science to sleep, neuroplasticity, peptides, inflammation, and sensory integration, this finale brings it all together and focuses on how to apply what you’ve learned in a way that truly fits your life.

We discuss why the greatest challenge in health today is not a lack of information, but overwhelm. Most people know what they should do—eat better, move more, sleep well, manage stress—but knowing is not the same as integrating. Healing happens when systems work together: the brain, body, nervous system, emotional health, habits, purpose, and mindset.

In this episode, we revisit the eight pillars of the Holistic Brain Blueprint, not as a checklist, but as a framework to help you identify what is already working and where you want to focus in the year ahead:

• Lifestyle as medicine
• Gut-brain health
• Sleep and glymphatic detox
• Neuroplasticity
• Regenerative support
• Inflammation and immune balance
• Sensory integration and nervous system safety
• Mindset and personal agency

We also reframe New Year’s resolutions by shifting the focus from vague goals to sustainable habits, explaining how habits shape our current health and how intentional habit changes can create lasting transformation. You’ll hear why healing is rarely linear, why brain-based care requires a different way of thinking than traditional medicine, and how aligning the right supports in the right order can help collapse the timeline of healing.

As we close this season, we leave you with a simple but powerful reminder: your brain and body are capable of change. Healing accelerates when you believe it is possible and when you partner with your body instead of fighting it.

We end this episode with a reflection on Auld Lang Syne, honoring the past while stepping forward with hope, gratitude, and renewed intention.

Thank you for joining us on this journey through the Lighting the Way series. If these conversations have resonated with you, we invite you to revisit them, share them with someone you love, and carry this message of hope into the year ahead.

Wishing you a healthy, grounded, and hopeful 2026.
— Dr. Michael & May Bagnell, IHP

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In this enlightening episode of the Neuro Collective Podcast, hosts Dr. Michael and May Bagnell,IHP dive deep into the critical role of sensory integration in understanding ADHD, autism, and anxiety. They highlight how these challenges often stem from the way our brains process sensory information, rather than mere behavioral issues. Listeners will gain valuable insights into how sensory overload can affect emotional regulation and attention, and why recognizing these signals is essential for fostering a supportive environment for both children and adults.

As the holiday season approaches, heightened sensory stimulation can lead to increased anxiety and overwhelm. The Bagnells provide practical strategies for managing sensory challenges at home, such as creating calming routines, using weighted blankets, and incorporating slow movements like Tai Chi. This episode is a must-listen for parents and individuals seeking clarity and hope as they navigate the complexities of sensory processing in daily life. Tune in to discover how understanding the sensory spark can transform your approach to brain health and emotional well-being.

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Dementia is not an inevitable part of aging—and this episode explains why. In Episode Six of the Lighting the Way series, Dr. Michael and May Bagnell, IHP explore dementia, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s through a lens of hope, prevention, and modern neuroscience, sharing why these conditions are often the result of chronic inflammation, immune imbalance, metabolic stress, and lifestyle patterns that begin years—甚至 decades—before symptoms appear.

You are not your genetics—you are your epigenetics. This conversation reframes dementia as a systems problem, not just a brain problem, highlighting the powerful role of neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, poor sleep, gut health, and chronic stress. Even genetic risk factors like APOE4 are not destiny—lifestyle is the lever that can turn risk on or off.

This episode empowers you with practical, proactive steps to protect your brain now, including stabilizing blood sugar, reducing inflammation, prioritizing sleep, staying mentally and physically engaged, and using functional neurology tools to detect imbalance early—before memory is affected. Prevention doesn’t have to be dramatic—just consistent.
✨ You can heal. And we can help.

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What if your brain’s best days are still ahead?

In Episode 5 of our Lighting the Way December series, Dr. Michael Bagnell and May Bagnell, IHP explore one of the most exciting frontiers in neuroscience and regenerative medicine: peptides — powerful biological messengers that help the body repair, regenerate, and restore balance.

This conversation isn’t about symptom suppression. It’s about supporting the body’s innate ability to heal, something medicine is finally rediscovering after decades of overlooking it.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What peptides are and why your body naturally produces thousands of them
• Why peptide signaling declines with age, inflammation, and chronic stress
• How peptides act like “text messages” between cells, reminding your body what it already knows how to do
• Why peptides are becoming a breakthrough tool in 2025 for brain health, gut healing, injury recovery, and longevity

🧠 We dive deep into three foundational peptides:

• BPC-157 – the repair & protection peptide for gut, brain, and connective tissue
• TB-500 – the movement & tissue healing peptide for stubborn or old injuries
• GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) – the regeneration & longevity peptide supporting skin, collagen, and cellular resilience

You’ll also hear how peptides fit into a functional neurology model, why order of operations matters, and how calming the nervous system, improving sleep, and reducing inflammation allow healing tools to work more effectively.

If you’re dealing with brain fog, chronic inflammation, slow healing, gut issues, post-concussion symptoms, autoimmune challenges, or simply feel like your body isn’t bouncing back the way it used to, this episode offers clarity, understanding, and hope.

💡 Key takeaway:
Your body is not broken — it may just need the right signals.

As always, we’re here to remind you:
✨ You can heal. And we can help.

🎧 Tune in and take the next step toward a brighter brain ahead.

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How Neuroplasticity Works & Why Your Brain Is Never Stuck

In this powerful December episode of The Neuro Collective Podcast, Dr. Michael and May Bagnell continue the Lighting the Way series with one of the most hope-filled discoveries in modern neuroscience: your brain is never stuck.

This conversation explores how neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire, reorganize, and strengthen new connections—can transform the way you experience the holidays, your health, and the year ahead.

✨ What you’ll discover in this episode:

• Why neuroplasticity is the foundation for healing from stress, trauma, ADHD, anxiety, concussion, and emotional patterns
• How the brain continues to change at any age—30, 60, even 80+
• The powerful role of movement, sensory input, and timing systems in supporting brain health
• Why frustration + novelty are actually signs your brain is growing
• How gratitude, rest, and intentional pauses can rewire the brain for calm, clarity, and resilience
• The difference between what’s considered “normal” aging and what’s truly natural
• How stress, cortisol, and blood sugar imbalance can limit neuroplastic potential
• Why the holidays are a critical window for shaping what your brain wires itself for next

🧠 Dr. Michael breaks down the science with vivid metaphors—neurons like branching trees, pruning what no longer serves so stronger connections can grow—while May highlights the emotional side of neuroplasticity, including belief systems, mindset, and “truth implants” that reshape how we live.

You’ll also hear real-life examples of neuroplasticity in action—from learning a new language to returning to piano decades later—and why pairing light movement before learning can dramatically improve results.

💡 Key takeaway:
Your brain is always rewiring.
The question is—what is it being rewired for?

As you move through a season of both overstimulation and reflection, this episode invites you to pause, choose intention, and step into the new year with agency, hope, and clarity.

👉 You don’t have to wait until January.
👉 You don’t have to stay stuck.
👉 You can heal. And we can help.

🎧 Tune in and let this episode help you rewire the holidays—and your future.

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In this holiday edition of The Neuro Collective Podcast, Dr. Michael and May Bagnell, IHP invite you to slow down, settle in, and explore one of the most fascinating discoveries in modern neuroscience: the glymphatic system—your brain’s nighttime detox network.

As part of our Lighting the Way series, this episode dives into how deep, restorative sleep acts as biological medicine, helping your brain clear metabolic waste, reduce inflammation, and protect long-term cognitive health. If you’ve ever struggled with brain fog, poor focus, mood changes, or chronic exhaustion, this conversation may completely change how you view sleep.

You’ll learn:

• Why the glymphatic system only activates during deep sleep
• How slow-wave sleep (N3) supports brain cleansing and renewal
• The surprising link between poor sleep and conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ADHD, and cognitive decline
• Why sleep is one of the most powerful modifiable lifestyle factors for brain health
• How simple shifts—like movement, sleep routines, hydration, and evening rituals—can dramatically improve sleep quality
• The best sleeping position to support optimal brain drainage
• How functional neurology approaches help restore sleep architecture in real patients

Dr. Michael and May also share practical, compassionate insights from the clinic—connecting sleep to gut health, hormones, stress resilience, emotional bandwidth, and nervous system regulation. Through relatable examples and seasonal reflection, they remind us that rest is not a luxury—it’s a built-in reset button available every single night.

As you move through this busy season, we invite you to reflect:

• Where can you create more space for rest?
• What boundary could better protect your peace and sleep?
• What wind-down ritual would truly help your brain let go?

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, forgetful, or depleted, your brain may simply be asking for deeper rest.

Protect your sleep—and your brain will protect you.

Share this episode with someone who needs more peace this season, and let us know: what’s your biggest sleep challenge right now?

As always, remember: You can heal—and we can help.