Creating Negative Awe Through Sound: A Review of Mirar’s New EP ‘Mare’

On 10th June, French metal band Mirar released a six-track EP titled Mare. This EP, and the band in general, falls into the metal genre ‘thall’, which combines elements of progressive metal, death metal, and mathcore. Thall is an offshoot of djent and originated with Vildhjarta, who started using the term in 2011; the genre…

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The Debate Over Which Drugs Should Be Classified as Psychedelics

In an earlier post on AA founder Bill Wilson, I dispelled the idea that he used a psychedelic to get sober (a claim made on the Netflix series How to Change Your Mind, and which has appeared elsewhere). Wilson was given a deliriant concoction (belladonna and henbane) to beat his addiction to alcohol. This occurred…

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Hunting and the Origins of Sport

Why are humans obsessed with sport? A common explanation is that we are tribal creatures, and so because sport involves teams, we are naturally drawn towards this form of competition. One’s team becomes part of one’s identity, and one’s emotions become intensely invested in the team’s success. Of course, sports also display a level of…

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The Ethics of Deadpan Humour: When is a Joke Actually a Lie?

A popular view on comedy is that ethics should have nothing to do with it, and trying to place comedy within the realm of ethics is a way for so-called ‘woke’ and ‘progressive’ types to moralise, police, and censor what can (and can’t) be joked about. The sentiment, from the ‘anti-woke’ crowd, is that if…

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Are There Enough Secular Psychedelic Retreats?

Choosing a psychedelic retreat can be difficult. It’s always best to read reviews and get recommendations, as these can indicate a retreat’s commitment to safety, ethics, expertise, comfort, preparation, and integration. But in addition to this, one should know what kind of frameworks the facilitators use when holding ceremonies. At best, the use of certain…

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