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Altered States
5mins
Enlightenment: After the ecstasy, the laundry. Why enlightenment is never an end in itself.
Big Think recently spoke with sleep psychologist Dr. Jade Wu about the surprising consequences of forgoing sleep.
Many still consider hypnosis more of a cheap magician’s trick than legitimate clinical medicine.
Uncovering the story of Milan Hausner, the Sadská clinic, and LSD psychotherapy behind the Iron Curtain.
The heart's rhythms may play a larger role in shaping psychedelic experiences than previously thought.
Millions of people have had a near-death experience, and it often leads them to believe in an afterlife. Does this count as good proof?
He co-created one of TV’s funniest shows. He still felt like a failure in his 30s. This is comedian Neal Brennan’s story about conquering toxic self-talk.
Unlikely Collaborators
Various environmental phenomena can play tricks on our brain.
What a long strange trip it's been.
Inside the “out there” quest for a drug that would help doctors save lives before it’s too late.
Only about 10% of patients survive cardiac arrest. Of the ones who do, many have amazing stories to tell.
Legally smoking joints in city centers will require alertness and a keen sense of orientation — two things stoners are not known for.
In a psychedelic state, the relationship between your “narrative” and “minimal” selves seems to transform in unique ways.
The mountain can generate lenticular clouds, which may contribute to its supernatural reputation.
The One Ring has its own agency and sentience — and it opens up a wonderful philosophy of things beyond our comprehension.
11mins
The best orgasms come when you learn how to unlock a sexual “flow state.” Emily Nagoski, a sex educator, shares a meditation to help you get started.
A brief look at the six-decade challenge to psychiatry.
How the simple act of watching twilight can radically transform our perception of the world and our role within it.
John Templeton Foundation
Why does the DMT experience feel so familiar to some people — even those who are trying the psychedelic for the first time?
If cocaine affects sharks at all, it does so as an anesthetic, not as a stimulant.
There were many similarities, but also some profound differences.
Aiming to unlock the secrets of his unconscious mind, Jung experimented with intensive daydreaming.
Our minds seem both physical and intangible. That paradox has gripped this neuroscientist since childhood.
5mins
What sets trauma apart from regular bad experiences? A leading neuroscientist explains.
Neuroscientists and artists alike are making the case that we could transform the world through psychedelics.
10mins
People are having less sex than ever. 3 experts explain the keys to maintaining a passionate relationship.
4mins
Ancient societies revered dreams. Modern science tells us why.
Thomas Edison was on to something...
The Source Family, a radical 1970s utopian commune, still impacts what we eat today.