How Do Psychedelics Affect Musical Ability?

Listening to certain music while on psychedelics can be a highly memorable and therapeutic experience. Since the 1950s, the presence of a carefully curated playlist has been treated as an essential part of psychedelic-assisted therapy; so much so that psychedelic researchers have referred to music as ‘the hidden therapist’. (However, more recently, researchers have also…

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Timothy Leary: The Embodiment of the Trickster Archetype

The psychologist Timothy Leary was (and still is) a controversial countercultural figure. He can be credited with introducing many young people to LSD and mind expansion, which spelled good news to some and bad news to others. When you open your mind, you may not always like what falls in. Leary became an evangelist for…

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Can DMT Cause Tinnitus?

On the subreddit r/DMT, there are many posts from users who describe developing tinnitus after using DMT. This wasn’t a potential risk of DMT – or any psychedelic – I had considered before. Admittedly, the link between DMT use and tinnitus is mostly anecdotal at this point. Still, the number of DMT users reporting newly…

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Does Microdosing Enhance Neuroplasticity?

It’s easy to find glowing accounts of microdosing. On psychedelic-related subreddits and forums, on social media, on blogs, and in real-life psychedelic circles, many people report incredible, life-changing, and wide-ranging benefits from taking tiny, sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics (typically psilocybin mushrooms and LSD). Despite reports of persistent depression fading away, not needing psychiatric medications anymore,…

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Drawing While Tripping: How Do Psychedelics Affect Artistic Ability?

Psychedelics have long been associated with the enhancement of creativity, particularly artistic creativity, in the form of drawing, painting, and music. The artwork of Alex Grey and the music of Shpongle are clear products of adventures in psychedelic mindscapes. Creating artwork is also a popular activity while tripping (during moments when one isn’t having a…

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