In an intriguing essay titled ‘Memory of the Present and False Recognition’ (1908), the French philosopher Henri Bergson proposes that déjà vu is the result of memory and perception becoming intertwined in the present moment. This is based on his supposition that memory and perception – the past and the present – occur simultaneously. The…
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One night last week, as I was falling asleep, in my head I told myself – as I’ve done before – I don’t want to have weird or bad dreams, I want to have fun dreams. I’ve done this as my intention before going to sleep, as I’ve kind of convinced myself that this intention-setting does…
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The ebb and flow of ocean waves has a naturally soothing quality to it. We all experience it; we all appreciate it. But why do ocean sounds relax us and calm the mind? One speculative hypothesis is that these sounds remind us of life in the womb. According to this hypothesis, the sound of waves,…
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Psychedelics are known to make everyday objects and experiences more intense and noticeable – everyday things become something worth commenting on. Part of this is related to the general meaning-enhancing effect of psychedelics. One of these intensifying effects of psychedelics, which I think has been underdiscussed, is the experience of moving from one room (or…
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One of the most common features (and frustrations) associated with the DMT experience is that despite being profound, it can also be very difficult to recall. DMT has a dream-like quality to it, in that you quickly lose your memory of the DMT trip as you return to normal waking consciousness. Terence McKenna drew attention…
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