Pitfalls Associated With Metta Bhavana (Loving-Kindness Meditation)

There is an increasing amount of attention being paid to the risks of meditation, a practice that – through its mainstreaming – has wholly been associated with calmness and mental health benefits. However, a growing body of research and first-person accounts are revealing that mindfulness meditation – particularly when it’s intensive and prolonged, as on…

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Nietzsche’s Opposition to Pity and Comfort

In much of his writing, Friedrich Nietzsche railed against pity – which he saw as a soul-crushing, enfeebling emotion and ethic – and comfort, which again he thought was the enemy of strength, health, and vitality. Nietzsche’s fierce opposition to Christianity originates from the centrality he believes it places on pity, and how this feeling…

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Mescaline, Veganism, and Schopenhauer’s Philosophy

A psychedelic experience can often be a chance to put our fundamental beliefs and opinions under the spotlight, whether intentionally or not. I’ve had a few experiences like this, particularly through solo experimentation with mescaline HCl, with the most profound experiences featuring major shifts in how I view myself and existence itself. In moments of…

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Why Are Men Less Likely to Adopt a Vegan Diet?

The number of people switching to a plant-based diet is growing rapidly. But there is still a gender divide. It seems women are far more interested in adopting a vegan diet than men. The Vegan Society published a survey showing that, in the UK, 63% of vegans are female while 37% are men. Meanwhile, in…

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