In 1676, near Jamestown, Virginia a group of British soldiers were traveling to put down Bacon’s rebellion. Hungry and unfamiliar with the local flora these soldiers unwittingly ingested leaves from the plant which became nicknamed Jamestown weed, or jimsonweed for short because of this event. This plant was of the datura genera—a deadly nightshade (plants which contain […]
On The Medicinal History of Datura Read More »
“The brethren continued exhorting, prophesying and speaking in tongues until 5 o clock in the morning—the Saviour made his appearance to some, while angels min[i]stered unto others, and it was a pent[e]cost and end[ow]ment indeed, long to be remembered.”1 Joseph Smith’s Journal The Kirtland Temple dedication was a multi-day visionary fest for the early Latter-day
The Psychedelic Kirtland Temple Dedication Read More »
For context, this was written for an outlet with a generally LDS audience that ultimately wasn’t published but has some value I think. “I tore myself from Her warm embrace. It was time for me to go. Before I left that place, She placed Her hand on my chest and told me She was always
Psychedelics as Spiritual Healers Read More »
What follows is a portion of an initial draft on the subject I’m writing with Robert Beckstead. Feedback is most welcome! Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and his family had connections to these esoteric forms of religion through the family’s involvement in folk magical practices, the occult, Masonry, and Kabbalistic doctrines.1 Through these, it is
Joseph Smith, Mormonism, and Reincarnation Read More »
What is forgetting? What happens to the memories when we’ve long since forgotten them? Until our death I suppose there remains the possibility of remembering some instance from our life, triggered by an unsuspecting sensory experience—the feeling of a leaf, a particular combination of spices—until we cease to be, our memory has not been truly
All music is fundamentally a co-creation with nature. Whether vocalizations resonate from vibrations of our vocal cords, the slap of a hand on an animal hide, the strum of guitar strings echoing across a hollow tree—each function as a response from some natural object to another. Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about
Co-Creating Music With Nature Read More »
Depression isn’t an individual defect or disorder as the cultural understanding would have you believe. It’s a product of both our web of relations to the world and our lack of connections within this web—the result of the increasing atomization of culture. The concepts shared here resonate with my own experience of depression and in
The Interconnected Self Part 2: Depression and the Atomization of the Individual Read More »
As someone who was first introduced to psychedelics through ketamine assisted psychotherapy for depression while an active Latter-day Saint, the nexus of psychedelics and religion is near and dear to my heart. This intersection has also been a source of profound emotional turmoil for me. The mystical revelations I underwent, which I believed brought me
A Real Spiritual High: In Defense of Psychedelic Mysticism Read More »
“People normally cut reality into compartments, and so are unable to see the interdependence of all phenomena. To see one in all and all in one is to break through the great barrier which narrows one’s perception of reality.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh One of the guiding principles of my life is that everything is connected
The Interconnected Self Read More »
“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” You are Horatio. I am Horatio. We all are Horatio! There are more ways of being in the world, experiences to be had, and ideas to be considered than you or I could ever dream of learning about in
Truth is Relative Because There Is Too Much Truth. And That’s a Good Thing Read More »
Read part one here. The Spiritual Leaves the Physical Twenty-three years after Joseph’s death, in a 1867 church conference, George A. Smith (Joseph Smith’s cousin) took up the question of the waning visionary experiences in the years following Joseph’s death and the LDS saints’ subsequent move to Utah. He addressed “the question often arisen among
Psychedelics as a Means of Revelation in Early and Contemporary Mormonism (Part 2) Read More »
This paper was presented at the Forms of Psychedelic Life conference at UC Berkeley (April 14-15, 2023). It’s meant to give an overview of different facets and themes of the use of psychedelics within the Mormon tradition. Many of these themes will be further expanded upon in future posts and papers. (This can also be
Psychedelics as a Means of Revelation in Early and Contemporary Mormonism (Part 1) Read More »
This is a portion of a paper I’ll be presenting at the Forms of Psychedelic Life conference next month on the role of psychedelics in Mormon theology. Preface As a bit of context to the following for the unaware, a recent article makes the case that psychedelics played a significant role in the origin of the Mormon faith. I’ll
Psychedelics as Sacred Objects Read More »
“I dreamed I was a butterfly, dancing in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming I am a man?” – Zhuangzi Psychedelia has an ego problem. I’m not only talking about the ego inflation that can occur with psychedelic
Ego Dissolution Is Not the Point Read More »
To make it easier to follow my writing I’ve created a Substack. Feel free to subscribe here. “Happy am I who can recognize the multiplicity and diversity of the Gods.” Carl Jung, Liber Novus Nietzsche might augment this Jung quite to read “Happy am I who can recognize the multiplicity and diversity of the parts
Nietzsche, Making True Myths, and the Myth of IFS Read More »
This is the introduction to the journal I created, Studio Magicae: A Journal of Practical and Theoretical Magic. You can read this article and the other articles in the journal here. Welcome to the inaugural issue of Studio Magicae: A Journal of Practical and Theoretical Magic. I take it you have some interest in the topic
The Meaning of Magic: Introduction to Studio Magicae Read More »
You can also read this review on Blossom Analysis’ website. DMT Dialogues: Encounters with the Spirit Molecule, edited by David Luke and Rory Spowers, gives the reader a peek into Tyringham Hall in England in September 2015, as ten of the world’s leading luminaries noted for exploring the mysterious compound DMT gathered with other researchers from across the
Summary Review of DMT Dialogues: Encounters with the Spirit Molecule Read More »
This was written for Blossom Analysis. Entheogens, Myth & Human Consciousness by Carl A. P. Ruck and Mark A. Hoffman makes the case for entheogens being at the foundation of the religions and myths of the Western world. Entheogens make sense of the ancient myths, especially the ancient Greek ones, and the myths provide a framework for understanding
Summary Review of Entheogens, Myth, and Human Consciousness Read More »
This was written for Blossom Analysis. The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries by Robert Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann, and Carl Ruck explores the notion of natural psychedelic agents having been used in spiritual rituals across history and cultures. Drawing on their expertise from three separate disciplines, mycology, chemistry, and history, the authors explore the possibility that
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This is a review can also be found on Blossom Analysis’ Website. Introduction LSD – The Wonder Child: The Golden Age of Psychedelic Research in the 1950s by Thomas Hatsis presents a masterful history of the blossoming psychedelic research in the 1950s. The narrative uncovers an era previously not explored, with most commentators focusing on the 60s and
Summary Review of LSD – The Wonder Child Read More »
This comes from a thread I posted on twitter recently regarding plants before hosting an Interintellect salon on the topic. I’ve got a series of 5 or 6 articles outlined on this topic that I’ll hopefully finish and start posting before the end of the year. They’ll flesh out these ideas a bit more and
Do you Suffer from Plant Blindness? Odds are you do! Read More »
This review can also be found on Blossom Analysis’ website. Psychedelic Medicine: The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca by Richard Miller describes the history of research into psychedelics. He does this by interviewing many of the luminaries in the field and with a focus on LSD, MDMA, ayahuasca, and psilocybin. The book provides a good,
Review of Psychedelic Medicine by Richard Miller Read More »
Building off the previous posts on the ineffability of psychedelic experiences and language, I wanted to continue using insights from Shlomo Giora Shoham that sheds light on the topic. I’ve written a basic introduction to his ideas here. In his book, The Violence of Silence, Shoham lays out the argument that it is the participant
Speaking of what I wrote in my last post, this theme of language, psychedelics, and a new technology: I’m interested here in what two, well four really, have to say about this. The medium is Deleuze and Guattari, and the two thinkers are Erik Davis and Benjamin Dueck. Deleuze and Guattari, according to both Dueck
(De)Territorializing the Psychedelic Experience Read More »
One common feature in the psychedelic experience, is the ineffability of said experience–it is too great or extreme to describe in words. In fact, this is one of the key features of the mystical experience that William James elucidates. Ask someone to describe their psychedelic or another profound experience they have had and they will
I was rereading and thinking about Heidegger in preparation for Zohar Atkins’ salon on Heidegger and the meaning of life and there were a couple points that piqued my interest. First, was his distinction between what we might call the flow state and interruptions in ordinary consciousness. Second, was Heidegger’s distinction between calculative and meditative
Heideggerian Truth, Meditative Thinking, and Healing Read More »
Starting this Saturday, July 17th, I will be hosting a series of Interintellect Salons on psychedelics.
Upcoming Interintellect Salons on Psychedelics Read More »
On March 29th I will be participating on a panel on ayahuasca, psychedelic therapy, and healing hosted by ASU. It’s at 4 PM PT for anyone interested! The week prior there is a screening of the brilliant film From Shock to Awe which explores the healing of PTSD in veterans through ayahuasca.
Understanding Ayahuasca and Healing with Therapeutic Psychedelics Panel Read More »
This is a post following up a bit on my last one about Daniel Dennett’s talk, I think Arthur Young’s usage of the idea of degrees of freedom is particularly useful to think about in a number of contexts. In his book The Reflexive Universe, Arthur Young is trying to develop a theory of evolution
Arthur Young, Degrees of Freedom, and Healing Read More »
I never thought I’d be agree on something with Daniel Dennett until I read this talk he gave called “Herding Cats and Free Will Inflation”. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a brilliant thinker and I agree with him on minor points, but not necessarily on the broad strokes of his theories (especially about consciousness). That’s
Dennett, Herding Cats, and Free Will Read More »
Luck seems to have three properties: It can be good or bad, but doesn’t seem to be neutral. It is the result of chance (although this one seems to be more modern) It can be applied to a sentient being (does that make my lucky rock sentient? Well no, that makes it more of a
Luck: What is it and Why Don’t I Have Any of it? Read More »
You can find the previous chapter notes here. Wittgenstein and Turing One of the aims of this chapter, Livingston says, is to see how language is finite and infinite for Wittgenstein. It has important philosophical and critical implications for how we should understand the social, political, and technical consequences of the development and spread of
The Politics of Logic: Chapter 6 Notes and Comments Read More »
You can find the previous chapter notes here. Wittgenstein and Parmenides Livingston begins with a comparison of two statements by Wittgenstein and Parmenides. Wittgenstein: “What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence.” Parmenides: “You could not know what is not–that cannot be done–nor indicate it.” The context of Parmenides statement is the
The Politics of Logic: Chapter 5 Notes and Comments Read More »
Chapter 1 NotesChapter 2 NotesChapter 3 Notes Derrida and Formalism Livingston states that an aim of this chapter is looking at the extent to which elements of Derrida’s deconstruction are a reflection on formalism and a parallel to metalogical results that arise from reflection on the structure and limits of language. He suggests that several
The Politics of Logic: Chapter 4 Notes and Comments Read More »
You can find the notes to chapter 1 here and chapter 2 here. Deleuze, Plato, and the Paradox of Sense In “How Do We Recognize Structuralism” Deleuze shows some common features that are definite of structuralism. The first is the recognition of a specific domain of signification. This is distinct from the domains of the
The Politics of Logic: Chapter 3 Notes and Comments Read More »
See here for notes on chapter one. In what follows Livingston describes and exhibits through a few examples the shared “paradoxico-critical” orientation that captures the most important elements of the legacy of the 20th century critical approaches of continental and analytic philosophy. He suggests that the distinguishing characteristics of the PC orientation in both its
The Politics of Logic: Chapter 2 Notes and Comments Read More »
My latest article on psychedelics and migraines has been published by Psychedelic Science Review.
Exploratory Study Indicates Psilocybin Provides Relief for Migraines Read More »
My notes and comments from the first chapter of Paul Livingston’s fantastic book (so far) The Politics of Logic: Badiou, Wittgenstein, and the Consequences of Formalism. Wittgenstein wrote in the Philosophical Investigations that “What has to be accepted, the given, is—so one could say—forms of life.” Theories of what he means oscillate between a conventional
This is part of my exploration of the interconnectedness of everything. A useful tool to talk about it is through Graham Priest’s gluons. Graham Priest is a mathematician, logician, philosopher, and a Buddhist thinker. Here I will lay out the basic arguments behind them, partially to lay the groundwork for the idea of gluons and
Gluons and the Interconnectedness of Things Read More »
In Arthur Koestler’s book, The Ghost in the Machine, he introduces the concept of a holon. Koestler sees holons as a way to reconcile the atomistic and holistic approaches to subjects such as behavioral and Gestalt psychologies, making sense of linguistic problems, and as a way to think about evolution. He suggests that the way
Holons: Structures that Connect Us Read More »
I am curious what role depression plays in diminishing one’s capabilities of experiencing awe and wonder. You could find something like this, which is saying that searching out a sense of awe staves off depression or anxiety. One might associate the concepts or feelings of awe or wonder with happiness or joy, things one isn’t
Does Depression Diminish Feelings of Awe and Wonder? Read More »
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben is one of the most interesting books I’ve read this year. I’ve written a summary and some of the more interesting points he makes here. Peter Wohlleben sets out to describe the life of a tree and does so magnificently. He chronicles his own experiences as a
The Hidden Life of Trees: A Summary Read More »
What does agency, your grandparents, Civil War soldiers, and the biblical book of Malachi have in common? Intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational trauma is something that likely, knowingly or unknowingly, affects the majority of us. Like it or not, the events that happened to our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents can fundamentally shape who we are and what
Intergenerational Trauma and its Impact on Agency Read More »
Imagine sitting on your couch and doom-scrolling through your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feed. Someone who has never done any of that asks you what you are doing. How do you describe the experience of sitting at home on your couch, looking at a device that is showing you live or recent updates of thoughts, feelings, and actions
Language and the Infancy of Experience: Agamben and Psychedelics Read More »
An article written for Psychedelic Science Review. This study provides the first preliminary quantitative exploration of the psychological effects of psychedelics in individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of an eating disorder.
An article written for Psychedelic Science Review Research indicates that ayahuasca promotes sustained decreases in neuroticism and increases in agreeableness and openness.
Ayahuasca Impacts the Big 5 Personality Traits Read More »
Shlomo Giora Shoham is a researcher of nearly everything. He was trained in law, criminology, and psychology but has since devoted his time to writing on psychology, philosophy, religion, and the nature of reality. His works have been a continued interest of mine since I stumbled across his work in the library during my undergrad.
This was a term paper for my moral psychology seminar. Introduction Philosophers have debated what makes someone part of the moral community. Some have argued that the key for someone to be part of the moral community is that we can hold them responsible or blame them for their actions. What is the point of
The Boundaries of the Moral Community Read More »
This was a paper I wrote for a philosophy class a year or so ago. Introduction Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD is a disabling and distressing disorder that can be characterized as having intrusive and recurring thoughts that can result in compulsive behavior (DSM V). These thoughts are unwanted and can be obsessive in
OCD, Depression, and Psychedelics: Similarities in Memory and Attention Read More »
What follows is the second chapter in my master’s thesis. CHAPTER 2 What a Psychedelic Experience is Like Now that I have characterized experience, including the psychedelic experience, as having the capability of playing a causal role in the healing, the question remains, what exactly is the psychedelic experience? What is it like? And how
The Nature of Healing in the Psychedelic Experience: Part 2 Read More »