The Elk, the Pilot, the Lakota Guide and the Vision Quest
In 2007 I was invited by a Lakota friend to undergo a guided vision quest in New Mexico's Sacramento mountains. Unlike my DIY vision quest of a year earlier, this one would follow in the Lakota tradition. We stripped four saplings to serve as the prayer circle's four corners' posts (signifying the four directions of [...]
The Wild, Neural Effect of Psilocybin
It's not often that a scientist becomes a subject for his own research; even less common when said scientist describes his brain as 'breaking' during the experiment. But that's precisely how Dr. Nico Dosenbach, an associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, recounted his experience under the influence of [...]
Spelunking Toward Inner Development
Sensory deprivation via natural or manmade caves has now become, if not routine, certainly more commonplace. In recent months Outside and National Geographic have run stories on the practice, which usually involves a stay lasting days or even weeks in the pitch-black confines of a cave retreat. The goal is to eliminate the sensory stimuli [...]
‘Massive’ Changes Detected in Brains Using Psilocybin
Using fMRI technology, scientists for the first time have revealed significant - albeit temporary - changes in the brain function of individuals using psilocybin, a hallucinogen known more casually as 'magic mushrooms.' "I've never seen an effect this strong," said Shan Siddiqi, a neuroscientist at the Harvard School of Medicine. He said some of the [...]
Let’s Talk About Vision Quests
For as long as self-aware humans have occupied this planet, they've been busy attempting to understand and improve themselves. In this post, we'll look at vision quests, which actually lends itself to other aspects of personal development, including meditation, mindfulness, silence, and self-inquiry. Although there is evidence vision quests have been practiced for thousands of [...]
No, Psychedelics Will Not End Your Suffering
Everywhere you turn, it seems, psychological sufferers - including a growing number of therapists and physicians treating them - are turning to psychedelics or, more specifically, 'psychedelic-assisted therapy,' to cure suffering. At the risk of harshing a lot of people's buzzes, it's unlikely that MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, LSD, ayahuasca and a host of other mind-bending [...]
-
The Elk, the Pilot, the Lakota Guide and the Vision Quest
In 2007 I was invited by a Lakota friend to undergo a guided vision quest in New Mexico's Sacramento mountains. Unlike my DIY vision quest of a year earlier, this one would follow in the Lakota tradition. We stripped four saplings to serve as the prayer circle's four corners' posts (signifying the four directions of [...]
-
The Wild, Neural Effect of Psilocybin
It's not often that a scientist becomes a subject for his own research; even less common when said scientist describes his brain as 'breaking' during the experiment. But that's precisely how Dr. Nico Dosenbach, an associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, recounted his experience under the influence of [...]
-
Spelunking Toward Inner Development
Sensory deprivation via natural or manmade caves has now become, if not routine, certainly more commonplace. In recent months Outside and National Geographic have run stories on the practice, which usually involves a stay lasting days or even weeks in the pitch-black confines of a cave retreat. The goal is to eliminate the sensory stimuli [...]
-
‘Massive’ Changes Detected in Brains Using Psilocybin
Using fMRI technology, scientists for the first time have revealed significant - albeit temporary - changes in the brain function of individuals using psilocybin, a hallucinogen known more casually as 'magic mushrooms.' "I've never seen an effect this strong," said Shan Siddiqi, a neuroscientist at the Harvard School of Medicine. He said some of the [...]
-
Let’s Talk About Vision Quests
For as long as self-aware humans have occupied this planet, they've been busy attempting to understand and improve themselves. In this post, we'll look at vision quests, which actually lends itself to other aspects of personal development, including meditation, mindfulness, silence, and self-inquiry. Although there is evidence vision quests have been practiced for thousands of [...]
-
No, Psychedelics Will Not End Your Suffering
Everywhere you turn, it seems, psychological sufferers - including a growing number of therapists and physicians treating them - are turning to psychedelics or, more specifically, 'psychedelic-assisted therapy,' to cure suffering. At the risk of harshing a lot of people's buzzes, it's unlikely that MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, LSD, ayahuasca and a host of other mind-bending [...]