DMT and the Pineal Gland: A Sceptic’s View

Comedian, UFC commentator, and podcaster Joe Rogan talked about DMT on the Opie & Anthony show in 2007. His descriptions of the craziness of DMT were well-received. A clip of the enthusiastic spiel was uploaded to YouTube, and it currently has over 4 million views. News about DMT was reaching far and wide. However, so…

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Children and Young People Need Honest Drug Education

Children and young people in the UK (those aged 5-16) are taught about drugs in the non-compulsory subject known as personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). However, even though the subject is non-compulsory, the new National Curriculum does recommend that all schools teach PSHE and states that it is “an important and necessary part of…

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The Psychology of Initiation Rites

Initiation rites are an integral part of traditional societies. An initiation rite is a ritual or ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. In modern society, initiation ceremonies usually mark the transition into adulthood, as demarcated by the community. Examples of such ceremonies would include the Christian baptism, the Jewish Bar and…

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Why Are Some Plants and Mushrooms Psychoactive?

We all know that particular plants and mushrooms can affect the mind – how we perceive the world, how we feel, and how we think. Some of these plants can induce stimulating effects, including tobacco, the seeds of Coffea arabica (used to make coffee), the coca leaf (used to make cocaine), betel, khat, the seeds…

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The Mystery of Ineffable Experiences

The human mind is geared towards compartmentalising the world. What this means is that the mind has an inbuilt tendency to divide the inner mental world and outer world into discrete sections or categories. The inner mental world is full of categories such as memories, goals, personality traits, and concepts that divide external reality into…

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