Book Review: Why It’s OK to Love Bad Movies by Matthew Strohl

This is a book I didn’t know I needed. But I’m interested in both philosophy and bad movies, so when I found out there was a book making a philosophical case for bad movie love, I had to get it immediately. Why It’s OK to Love Bad Movies (2022) – written by philosopher of art…

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Arterscham: The Phenomenon of Species Shame

Shame and embarrassment have long been considered uniquely human emotions since, as psychologist Marc D. Hauser has argued, these feelings “depend critically on a sense of self and others”, giving us “a moral sense that no animal is likely to attain.” Without self-awareness, in other words, there can be no shame. However, biologist Marc Bekoff…

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Mixing Psychedelics With Cannabis: A Common Cause of Bad Trips

The combination of psychedelics and cannabis is a common one. The addition of cannabis to a psychedelic experience might be at any point, including before the dose is taken, before the peak, at the peak, after the peak, and during the comedown phase. Some might prefer to smoke at some point more than others (such…

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Psychedelic Drug Laws and the Right to Cognitive Liberty

Cognitive liberty refers to the right or freedom of an individual to determine their own mental processes, cognition, and consciousness. Champions of this right argue that is an extension of, and really the fundamental basis of, the right to freedom of thought. Sovereignty over our minds and bodies is a basic freedom that all individuals…

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Metta Bhavana: An Overlooked Practice for Psychedelic Integration

Metta bhavana is an ancient Buddhist meditation practice that aims to cultivate the emotional virtue of loving-kindness, known as metta. I have previously explored the benefits of metta meditation for depression, as well as the potential pitfalls of the practice. I would like to return to the benefits of this form of meditation again, specifically…

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