Before I get into my experience with the Gupta Program, I'll provide a bit of background as to why I started brain retraining. When I was 20 years old, I became very sick, and was diagnosed with dysautonomia, ehlers-danlos syndrome, chiari malformation, gastroparesis, chronic lyme disease, and more. For years, doctors told me that my chronic illnesses were incurable and that I'd be sick for the rest of my life. It turns out, they were wrong.
We saw dozens of doctors and even travelled the country to see the top specialists for my conditions. According to the doctors recommendations, we tried all sorts of testing, medications, treatments, and even major neurosurgeries—but nothing was helping, and I just continued to get sicker and sicker.
There came a point where I started to doubt that any doctor or treatment could really help me and it felt like I had "tried everything". At this point I was bed-bound, seriously underweight, in severe pain 24/7, and barely surviving. I had a gut feeling that if I wanted to get better, I'd have to look to alternative methods of healing.
My first introduction into the world of neuroplasticity was reading "You Are The Placebo" by Dr. Joe Dispenza—and let me tell you, that book made me uncomfortable. He was talking about people healing from genetic diseases and getting out of wheelchairs through meditation. It sounded completely crazy to me, and to be honest, I still don't really resonate strongly with his work. But it sparked this curiosity in me and I decided to be more open minded. I was willing to try anything to heal, because I felt I couldn't live this way much longer.
I first heard about both the DNRS program and the Gupta Program many years before I started brain retraining. In fact, I automatically assumed they couldn't help me because "I had a real, physical illnesses". I knew nothing about the science behind neuroplasticity and regulating the nervous system. The programs just sounded like a hoax or a scam to me. But over time, I became more and more drawn to the idea of trying brain retraining, especially as I talked with others that had seen such incredible healing through it.
I started with the DNRS program and saw significant health improvements fairly quickly. You can refer to this blog post for a 3 month progress update. I also have several videos on my YouTube channel sharing my experience with both DNRS & Gupta (I even have some visualization examples, hopefully with more to come)!
About 6 months after starting the DNRS program, I decided to go through the Gupta Program as well to see if I could gain any more tools and knowledge to help me on my healing journey. Both programs have their pros and cons, but being completely honest, they were the best money I've spent on my health. Brain retraining has quite literally changed my life and become something I'm very passionate about!
Now I'll go into my experience with the Gupta Program and what to expect if you're starting it. If you'd like to hear my thoughts on the differences between DNRS & Gupta I have a YouTube video about that.
What is the Gupta Program?
The Gupta Program is a brain retraining course to help those with chronic illness regulate the nervous system. The nervous system is the control center of the body—it controls your blood pressure, heart rate, digestive system, immune system, endocrine system, and more. When the nervous system is dysregulated very severe, physical illness can occur.
Many people dealing with chronic illness are subconsciously stuck in a perpetual "survival mode", which can seriously affect how the body functions. Gupta describes this as a problem with the software of the body versus a problem with the hardware.
Over the course of 15 training sections, he teaches helpful tools to help guide your nervous system back into parasympathetic (or "rest and digest") mode where the body can actually start to heal. The program involves lots of visualization, meditation, and mindset/lifestyle changes. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're willing to put a significant amount of time and effort into it.
The core of the Gupta Program focuses on brain retraining, which is essentially visualizing yourself healthy and strong. When you visualize something, your brain can't tell the difference between what you're visualizing and reality. As you continue to do these visualizations and alter your mindset, you will signal safety to your brain—which can allow healing to start taking place.
Brain retraining also involves letting go of limiting beliefs and redirecting negative thought patterns. Gupta does a great job of explaining the science behind neuroplasticity and how it relates to chronic illness. He teaches a wide variety of nervous system regulation tools and provides a flexible guideline for how to implement them in your life.
My experience with the Gupta Program
After doing the DNRS program for about 6 months, I started the Gupta Program. At this point, I had already made a lot of progress with my recovery, but I wanted to see if I could glean any more insight from the Gupta Program and overall, my experience was very positive.
I'm glad I decided to go through both programs, as I learned a lot from their different perspectives. But I definitely wouldn't recommend going through them both at the same time, though (as that may be too overwhelming).
Personally, I found the Gupta Program to have a much more self-compassionate approach than DNRS. For those that tend to have a perfectionist mindset, it could be a better pick. One of his mottos is "do your best and leave the rest". He definitely emphasizes progress over perfection.
The beginning of the program did an excellent job of explaining the science behind neuroplasticity and how being stuck in chronic "fight or flight" can affect the function of the immune system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, and more.
Here are some insightful notes from the course I wrote in my journal:
When the fight or flight system stays switched on, and the parasympathetic nervous system doesn’t get a chance to heal and repair our body. This uses up all our energy. The brain becomes hypersensitive and hyper reactive.
Because the brain is already on high alert, it’s easy for us to learn to learn to perceive new threats, behaviors, and responses. When there are symptoms in the body, it indicates that we’re in danger. Unless you tell the brain something different.
Our digestion and detoxification systems shut down when in fight or flight. This can increase toxicity in the body.
It’s a real, physical illness. But the damage isn’t long lasting. The hardware of our body is fine, it’s just an issue with the software. Reprogram the “software” and the hardware will function correctly.
We can train our brains to know that we aren’t in danger, and that we’re on the road to recovery.
You’re an incredible human with all the resources inside you to heal.
So much of what I learned in the Gupta Program was very beneficial for me in my healing journey. At the time of writing this article, I've been brain retraining for about 1.5 years. For the first 8-10 months, I was very strict about doing it. Now I continue to use tools I learned from both DNRS and Gupta every single day, but don't follow a super "rigid" approach.
Below is a photo of me when I was essentially bed-bound versus me now, thriving. There are many things I've done to recover from chronic illness, but brain retraining and nervous system regulation have been the most impactful things for me. I am so grateful for the progress I've seen and this new chance at life I've been given!
What are the "pros" to the Gupta Program?
Here are some things I liked about the Gupta Program:
The video modules were high quality, and the program has lots of resources including meditations, worksheets, groups/communities, and live Q&As. The workbook is very well done, and includes all the lessons word-for-word. This can be really helpful for visual learners that like to follow along with text as they listen to the program.
The program is overall very holistic in comparison to DNRS. On top of brain retraining techniques, it discusses the importance of getting morning sunlight, minimizing blue light exposure, optimizing circadian rhythm, improving sleep, eating nourishing foods, and connecting with nature. These things have been huge for me in my healing journey and I really appreciated that Gupta included them!
The program emphasizes the importance of slowing down for recovery—not only our physical actions, but our thoughts. When we're in a rush, it signals to our brain that we're unsafe. Slowing down, on the other hand, signals safety to the brain. He has something he calls "the slow motion technique". This was something I really needed to hear at the time and I've gained a lot of progress from implementing his teachings.
The program has more of a focus on meditation in conjunction with brain retraining and includes lots of resources for this. It actually recommends meditating twice a day.
The program incorporates parts work, which I think can be very beneficial for many people.
The program has lots of great resources for integrating back into more "normal" life after illness. This is something I didn't feel was touched on as much in the DNRS program.
The price-point is much lower than some other brain rewiring or nervous system coaching programs. This can make it more accessible for people on a budget.
Are there any "cons" to the Gupta Program?
Yes. No program is going to be perfect—and that's okay! I'll always be honest about what I like and dislike about the program. Keep in mind, what I consider to be a "con" to the program may not be a negative thing for someone else.
Here are some things I didn't love about the Gupta Program:
It's a bit cheesy. This won't be a "con" for everyone (many people enjoy it or don't find it cheesy at all), but I know some people struggle with it. To give you an example, he uses puppets to demonstrate concepts in several parts of the program. That being said, Gupta does an excellent job of explaining the science behind neuroplasticity and how nervous system dysregulation can contribute to chronic illness.
In his dietary recommendations, he advises people to avoid processed foods (which is great) and red meat. Personally, I believe red meat is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet and is not inflammatory. I didn't like that this was in the program. Most people probably wouldn't notice, but as someone that has seen tremendous health benefits from eating lots of red meat, I had to point it out. I do, however appreciate that he recognized the importance of eating nourishing foods for our overall health.
The visualizations in the Gupta Program are shorter than in DNRS, and there isn't a set structure for how often/long to do them. For me, this was a con, but for others it could be a pro. In the Gupta Program, you're told to just do the brain retraining steps/visualization whenever you feel triggered throughout the day. In this regard, I preferred the more structured approach of DNRS where you do 4 rounds of 15 minute visualizations a day. This is actually one the main reasons I was very glad I started with DNRS and later went through the Gupta Program.
Keep in mind that if something about the program doesn't resonate with you, you don't have to implement it. There are several things about both DNRS and Gupta that I didn't follow perfectly and I still saw massive health improvements from what I learned. It's completely okay to add in other healing modalities in conjunction with the Gupta Program as well. Do what feels right for you!
How is the Gupta Program & brain retraining different than meditation?
Meditation is a great tool, but it is very different than rewiring the brain through visualization. It focuses on mindfulness and observing your thoughts and feelings, which can be certainly bring health benefits. But for some, this may not be enough to help with a severely dysregulated nervous system.
Personally, I tried meditation every day for several months when I was bed-bound. I enjoyed it, but didn't find it to help with my symptoms at the time. Brain retraining was a completely different experience for me. Consistently visualizing myself healthy and strong was what my brain needed to start to feel safe in my body again. Many others with chronic illness have reported the similar experiences.
Does the need for brain retraining suggest my illness is "in my head"?
Absolutely not. Your illness and symptoms are real. When you hear the term "brain retraining" its easy to assume that it might be suggesting your illness isn't real.
This couldn't be further from the truth.
When people become chronically ill, they often experience a "perfect storm" of triggers that onset the illness. This could include physical traumas (ex. virus/infection, mold, environmental toxins, nutritional deficiencies, etc) or physiological traumas (ex. loss, abuse, violence, etc.). These triggers often cause the brain to go into a perpetual "survival mode", and because your brain is so focused on survival, other systems of the body can be seriously impaired.
Keep in mind, the nervous system governs every important system of the body, including the digestive system, immune system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system and more. When the nervous system isn't functioning properly, every cell of your body is impacted. No wonder people with chronic illness often develop systemic issues.
Brain retraining helps signal safety to the brain, which makes it so our nervous system can start to shift to a parasympathetic state of "rest and repair". True, deep healing can't take place in a chronic state of survival.
This is often the missing piece for people with chronic illness, and unfortunately, is something that modern medicine doesn't typically embrace. Brain retraining an amazing tool to help the body to physically heal.
How do I know the Gupta Program isn't a scam?
I definitely understand why someone might feel skeptical of the Gupta Program, as I was one of those people for years.
But it absolutely isn't a scam, I can personally attest to that along with many others that are recovering from chronic illness with brain retraining.
Some seem to think that because they charge a fee for the course it has to be a scam, and this makes me sad. The creators of the program put a lot of time and effort into developing the program and deserve to make a living from the excellent program they've created.
Keep in mind, even a single doctors appointment could cost more than the entire Gupta Program. Given that the Gupta Program has helped thousands of people in their chronic illness recovery journeys, I feel the price is very, very reasonable. They also have a satisfaction guarantee, meaning they will refund you if you are not happy with your experience.
Who could benefit from the Gupta Program?
Personally I think everyone can benefit from brain retraining. Our nervous systems weren't designed for the modern world we live in, and I believe everyone struggles with some degree of nervous system dysregulation because of that. This could manifest anywhere from mild anxiety to severe chronic illness.
Many people with chronic illnesses such as dysautonomia/POTS, chronic fatigue syndrome, long covid, autoimmune disease, chronic lyme disease, and more have benefited from brain retraining.
Even if you're dealing with a condition that can't be 100% cured (which personally I believe is much, much more rare than doctors suggest), there is still potential for significant improvements from brain retraining. It's certainly worth giving a try. If it doesn't work well for you for whatever reason, they do have a satisfaction guarantee.
What should I expect when starting the Gupta Program?
When starting the Gupta Program, keep in mind that you will need to be willing to make changes in your life and put a lot of effort into your recovery. It's a big time commitment, but so worth it! Be prepared to learn things that may be unfamiliar or foreign to you.
My best advice is keep an open mind and enjoy it as much as you can. Healing from chronic illness isn't easy and it certainly isn't linear—but it's possible.
In Summary
My experience with the Gupta Program was overall very positive, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone struggling with chronic illness, chronic pain, or anxiety. It's absolutely possible to heal and recover without a brain rewiring program, but it can be an invaluable resource—it certainly was for me.
Remember, it's not the Gupta Program (or DNRS program) itself that heals people, but rather it gives you a toolkit to help you heal you. The most important part of healing comes from within! Whether or not you decide to do brain retraining, I'm cheering you on and hoping all the best for you.
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