In spiritual circles, a common metaphysical belief is that ‘the universe is love’, or something to that effect. Another way of phrasing this view is that the fundamental force in the universe is love, the universe is governed by love, or, as the Jesuit mystic Teilhard de Chardin opined, “The physical structure of the universe…
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I recently rewatched the horror classic Hellraiser (1987), and as well as finding it better on the second watch, I was fascinated with its portrayal of the ‘ecstasy of agony’ or the ‘agony of ecstasy’ (which we could also call ‘ecstatic agony’). I’m currently working on a book on the subject of ecstasy, and despite…
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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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Different forms of meditation can be helpful for perfectionism. Mindfulness can interrupt ruminative thinking focused on perfectionism – stopping an initial thought spiralling into a distressing chain of thoughts, or cycles of thoughts. Compassion (karuna) or loving-kindness (metta) meditation can challenge the default attitudes and emotions behind perfectionist thinking – regret, self-blame, and self-criticism –…
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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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