Yes, we can say that dopamine fasting is meant to return the brain to a more “natural” or “baseline” state—though it’s important to unpack what that really means.
Dopamine fasting is based on the idea that modern life overstimulates our brain’s reward system—constant notifications, social media, instant entertainment, sugar, porn, etc.—and that by abstaining from these stimuli for a period of time, we allow the brain’s reward circuitry to “reset” or regain sensitivity. This is not so much about removing dopamine itself (which is essential for basic brain function and doesn’t just disappear), but about reducing compulsive behaviors driven by dopaminergic spikes.
So yes, in a metaphorical or functional sense, dopamine fasting aims to bring us back to a kind of “natural state”—one that’s more balanced, attentive, and less driven by compulsive seeking of reward. It’s a return to slower rhythms, more intrinsic motivation, and less external hijacking of attention.
Would you like to explore this idea in a more philosophical way—like, what “natural state” even means today?
