Interesting discussion on Aztec #philosophy with philosopher Sebastian Purcell.

New blog post. Using the #Rogansphere as an example, I look at the relationship between psychedelics and political views – how these substances can make no difference to one's views, as well as intensify them or shift them in any direction.

Why you should never argue online iandunt.substack.com/p/why-you-sh...

Accurate.

New blog post. #psychedelics #mentalhealth #psychedelictherapy

In this blog post, I look at the physical reactions that can occur during somatic therapy and charismatic Christian worship, and how there might be similar psychological mechanisms behind both.

An article on what it means to 'integrate' a psychedelic experience if it was traumatic, seemingly devoid of insight, and a cause of lasting distress.

We should have specific words for the feeling of the sun on your face in May and September. In the former case, it needs to conjure up a sense of relief and in the latter a sense of longing.

A few photos from Cornwall.

In this blog post, I look at the trend of people stealing others' comedy content on social media and passing it off as their own idea. But in some cases, the line is blurred between inspiration and plagiarism.

Many of those who could benefit from psychedelic therapy or a psychedelic retreat are unable to afford it. What can be done to address this access inequality?

New blog post. What do we gain and lose by using #AI tools like Midjourney to generate psychedelic art?

My latest article for @iai.tv “Just as we do not feel the health of our whole body, but only the small spot where the shoe pinches, so we do not think of all our affairs that are going on perfectly well, but only of some insignificant trifle that annoys us.” - #Schopenhauer

I recently watched Pulse, and it's definitely one of the creepiest #horror films I've seen. A lot has been written about how the film reflects societal fears about the internet. Here, I focus on its exploration of apeirophobia (the fear of eternal life).

While the influx of AI-generated content is a net negative in many different ways, this doesn't mean AI has no legitimate uses in writing. Here, I look at some of the ways AI can act as a writing assistant (and help improve writing skills, rather than stunt them).

An article I wrote for Numinous Ways on combining psychedelics with #antidepressants. It seems the risk of serotonin syndrome is low (unless an MAOI is involved); not all psychedelic effects are blunted; and the combination doesn't stop people from enjoying mental health benefits.

And one final thought: Ozzy going out after giving an emotional final performance that raised a ton of money for charity is more spiritually uplifting and did more genuine good than anything any televangelist and religious grifter who railed against him ever did combined.

While bad actors catastrophize about the increase in autism diagnoses, it "is actually a long-needed correction of a longstanding bias, which had overlooked many in need of support." And do we really want to go back to blaming autism on "refrigerator mothers"? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

My latest blog post explores traditions in which psychedelics are used by children and adolescents, as well as researchers' views on the potential risks of psychedelic use for young people.

I wrote about the strange writing made up by outsider artist James Hampton, which researchers have referred to as "the written equivalent of 'speaking in tongues'."

"You could argue, from an Aristotelian view, that ecstatic experiences are not essentially moral, rather they can be guided towards virtues and character-building, or they can also contribute to the growth of vices and character-dissolution." - @philosojules.bsky.social

Many musicians have performed live while tripping, including Carlos Santana, the Grateful Dead, Jim Morrison, Syd Barrett, and Maynard James Keenan. In this blog post, I explore the effects of psychedelics on musical ability.

In this article, I look at the science behind intergenerational trauma and how psychedelics may be helpful in treating it.

Do you see circles or rectangles? How culturally dependent is perceptual experience? Inspired by two recent studies, I wrote this for today's @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Don Lattin describes Leary as an "Irish rascal" and "trickster"; Ralph Metzner said he represented the "court jester"; and Leary referred to himself as a "trickster guru". Here I look at who Leary was, and what he did, through the lens of the trickster archetype.

Using #ChatGPT to write essays is linked to cognitive debt: "the #LLM group's participants performed worse than their counterparts in the Brain-only [non-ChatGPT] group at all levels: neural, linguistic, scoring." The authors of the preprint do highlight several limitations with the study though.

In this blog post, I look at cases of tinnitus following a DMT experience, including potential reasons for the link.

"But perhaps psychiatrist Sidney Cohen came closest to understanding what had really happened to the Huxleys when he wrote that “LSD does nothing specific … it springs the latch of disinhibition.”"

My review of Aniara, with a focus on its depiction of 'cosmic anxiety', the antithesis of cosmic awe: feeling overwhelmed and panicked when faced with the vastness of space. #film #filmreview #scifi #horror

My latest blog post is on the increase in DMT trip reports that mention jester entities. I look at how expectations and DMT lore (i.e. aspects of 'set') may influence the appearance of one kind of entity rather than another.

Got my copy of @samwoolfe.bsky.social’s book Altered Perspectives today. Looks great—eager to dive into it soon! #psychedelics #BookSky

New blog post. "Just as we do not feel the health of our whole body, but only the small spot where the shoe pinches, so we do not think of all our affairs that are going on perfectly well, but only of some insignificant trifle that annoys us."

My latest blog post is on how pro-psychedelic narratives sometimes involve stigma against antidepressants.

Really interesting discussion on shamanism with @manvir.bsky.social.

Controlled trials have so far found that short-term microdosing performs no better than a placebo. In this blog post, I explore the idea that long-term microdosing may lead to the benefits that people report by increasing neuroplasticity.

A study published last year found that intensive Fire Kasina meditation can "produce mystical experiences comparable in intensity and depth to those induced by psychedelic substances." This article explores this research, alongside personal accounts from Fire Kasina retreat attendees.

This is wild.

Just published this post on psychedelic-induced 'ontological shock' (a term coined by the German-American philosopher Paul Tillich). I include some findings from a new study on this by @eirini-k-a.bsky.social @philosojules.bsky.social @drdluke.bsky.social @rosmcalpine.bsky.social and others.

"When we’re stuck in a hard choice, the decision is difficult not because it involves equality, but because it involves difference. One option is no better or worse than the other, but they lead to different — often mutually exclusive — kinds of futures".

My latest blog post is about the negative psychedelic experiences that early psychonauts had. I include trip reports from Henri Michaux, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Walter Benjamin.

I wrote about Peter Tscherkassky's experimental films and the idea that 'psychedelic cinema' can involve more than just depicting psychedelic experiences.

A useful summary of naturalism, the 'natural' vs the 'supernatural', and naturalism vs physicalism.

My latest blog post looks at how acute psychedelic effects affect an artist's creativity and ability to draw. Henri Michaux said he couldn't draw under the full effects of a psychedelic (only in the aftermath of the experience), but other artists have tried (and produced some interesting results).

I wrote about current theories on what's happening in the brain when people have out-of-body experiences (OBEs). I also touch on some of the philosophical questions raised by OBEs.

Link to the excerpt: bluelabyrinths.com/2025/05/03/p...

Thought-provoking question on r/RationalPsychonaut based on an excerpt from @samwoolfe.bsky.socialʻs book Altered Perspectives: "Would widespread psychedelic use improve society?" Definitely some thoughtful responses, too. #psychedelics www.reddit.com/r/RationalPs...

Just published this blog post on the #psychology behind flow states and peak experiences.

You can get 20% off my book if you order from Hive. #philosophy #consciousness #books

Here's an excerpt from one of the essays in my book, 'On Plant Spirits and Psychedelic Teleology, Part I'. It questions the idea that widespread psychedelic use would bring about a utopian (or near-utopian) society.

How the Manosphere misuses Evolutionary Psychology open.spotify.com/episode/3Nfr...