Quakerism and Psychedelics

It is hard to find much information on the connections between Quakerism (or the Religious Society of Friends) and psychedelic use. This is in contrast to discussions on the (actual or possible) influence of psychedelics on other religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and animistic religions. Unlike these other traditions, there are no signs…

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Revisiting Terence McKenna’s Idea of the ‘Archaic Revival’

The ‘archaic revival’ is one of Terence McKenna’s most popular ideas, and it is the title of his 1991 book that explores a variety of topics related to psychedelics. The core of the idea is that several 20th-century movements represent a return to the spiritual and ecological sensibilities of Paleolithic and Neolithic shamanistic societies. The…

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Would Widespread Psychedelic Use Help Solve the Climate Crisis?

It is common to associate psychedelics with environmentalism. In the popular imagination, psychedelic users might be viewed as tree-hugging hippies and Gaia worshippers. But beyond these stereotypes, there is also research to support the links between psychedelic use and connection to nature, which has led some to argue that psychedelics could help us solve the…

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Timothy Leary’s Eight-Circuit Model of Consciousness: An Overview and Critique

The psychedelic guru Timothy Leary proposed a theory of human consciousness, known as the eight-circuit model of consciousness, in his books Neurologic (1973), Exo-Psychology (1977), The Intelligence Agents (1979), and The Game of Life (1979). This theory reflects Leary’s deep interest in mind expansion and psychedelics; the theory itself – which is presented as psychological…

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What Determines Whether Cannabis Improves or Worsens Your Mental Health?

One of the applications of medical cannabis is for the improvement of mental health. In the UK (where I’m from), you can be prescribed medical cannabis to counteract the symptoms of a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Private cannabis clinics are seeing a rise in the number of patients who…

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