In the natural world, there are more than 200 psilocybin mushroom species (most of these belong to the genera Psilocybe, but psilocybin-producing mushrooms also belong to genera such as Copelandia, Inocybe, and Panaeolus). There are also many different strains, or varieties, of psilocybin mushroom species. Most of these strains belong to the species Psilocybe cubensis.…
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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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Astrology is one of the most popular New Age beliefs and is commonly embraced by the general public (national newspapers still feature daily horoscopes, and publicising your zodiac signs is often an option on dating apps). Its popularity persists, despite the fact that there is no scientific evidence to support the idea that astronomical phenomena…
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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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The Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung is well known for developing his concept of the archetype. This refers to a primordial pattern existing in the collective unconscious, or humanity’s shared, inherited mental contents, which we are unaware of. Jung previously conceptualised archetypes (e.g. the Mother, the Trickster, the Shadow, the Child) as purely mental phenomena…
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