The Effects of the Internet on the Brain

From my own personal experience, I find it more difficult to concentrate on something which requires sustained attention – when reading a book, for example – than I used to in the past. I believe that this diminishing ability to concentrate is a result of the internet; more specifically, the way in which I (and…

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The Peyote-Inspired Art of the Huichol People

Peyote is a cactus which contains mescaline, one of the classic psychedelic chemicals. Native North Americans have been using peyote for religious purposes for around 5,000 years. It is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico. Peyote art, art that is influenced by the visions from the peyote experience, is abundant in the Huichol culture of…

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Why We Need a ‘None of the Above’ Option for Ballot Papers

None of the Above (NOTA) is a ballot option in some countries and it allows the voter to express their disapproval of all the candidates and parties listed. Those who are in favour of it argue that a truly democratic process should entitle citizens to express non-consent, as well as consent. NOTA has been adopted…

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The Problem With Rupert Sheldrake’s Worldview

Rupert Sheldrake is an English author and parapsychologist (someone who studies paranormal phenomena, such as telepathy, precognition, psychokinesis and other forms of ESP). In recent times he gained notoriety for having his TED talk banned, a talk that questioned, what Sheldrake believed to be, the ten dogmatic assumptions of modern science. He is credited with…

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Uncomfortable Truths About Mormonism

In this article I want to go through several key aspects of Mormonism – from the life of its founder, Joseph Smith, to Mormon practice – and highlight how ridiculous this recent American religion is. The  Mormons are also known as the Latter Day Saints (LDS). (On a side note: I was also glad to find…

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