“

A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

” - Einstein

          Psychedelics: again the pilgrimage - current experience, lessons

" ... the current system for bringing promising biomedical research to the bedside is operating at an obsolete level of efficiency, causing great delay, and consequently resulting in the loss of many lives."  Roger Rosenberg (JAMA 2003;289:1305-6)

  "Any unexplained phenomenon passes through three stages before the reality of it is accepted. During the first stage it is considered laughable. During the second stage, it is adamantly opposed. Finally, during the third stage, it is accepted as self-evident."  Arthur Schopenhauer

“ The dogs howl, but the moon still keeps on shining. ” - German Proverb

         Psychedelics: again the pilgrimage - current experience, low dose

            "The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."  Eden Phillpotts

And ...

More to follow ...

“

One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.

” - Walter Bagehot

        Psychedelics: again the pilgrimage - current experience, high dose

                                       "No man was ever wise by chance."    Lucius Seneca

            "My house having burnt down, nothing now impedes my bright vision of the moon."  Zen saying

Again the pilgrimage/What to bring?/Humility, innocence, curiosity ... /Respect, courage, love ... /   Dedication ... of course to/Something so much bigger/Except ... the me and bigger/Are maybe not so separate/   Empty-handed, receptive/Open to learn & to blessing./Then contracting again into this world/A pilgrim with wiser eyes. 

“ "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." ” - Thich Nhat Hanh

         Psychedelics: again the pilgrimage - current experience, preparing

              "Who will prefer the jingle of jade pendants if he once has heard stone growing in a cliff?"  Lao Tzu

            "You can earn a living from what you get, but you can only get a life from what you give."  Andy Ripley

“

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.

” - Henry Ford

                                  psychedelic assisted psychotherapy

The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.    J. K. Galbraith

It's important to keep an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out.    Traditional

I've been asked to write a short book section on "Psychedelics and dying" and that has nudged me into looking at this territory here on the blog.  It's a fascinating subject in all kinds of ways.  With the limited space I have, I'd like to comment briefly on four overlapping areas.  One is the growing body of research showing that psychedelic-assisted therapy can dramatically ease severe existential distress associated with terminal illness.  A second, less well studied area, is the observation that psychedelic experience reduces death anxiety in the general population.  Thirdly, it's interesting to note the similarities between some descriptions of psychedelic states and reports of near death experiences.  And lastly I'd like to talk about how psychedelics might produce these effects.

I read a lot of research.  When I find an article of particular interest I download it to my bibliographic database - Endnote - which currently contains well over 27,000 abstracts.  I also regularly tweet about emerging research, so following me on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ (click on the relevant icon at the top of this web page) will keep you up to speed with some of what I'm finding interesting. Additionally you can view this highlighted research by visiting Scoop.it (click on the "it!" icon at the top of the page).  At Scoop.it, I stream publications into five overlapping topic areas: Cognitive & General Psychotherapy, Depression, Compassion & Mindfulness, Healthy Living & Healthy Aging, and Positive Psychology ...

    Sapere aude!  Dare to use your own intelligence!  This is the battle cry of the Enlightenment.  Immanuel Kant

                  God-speed ... To heart-opened light-burst ... Love-drenched ... Out-breath, walls melt                                       To the tender darkness ... Mithril to wings.    Willie Grieve (a friend sending good wishes for the journey).

  "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."    Marcel Proust

"There isn't any formula or method.  You learn to love by loving - by paying attention and doing what one thereby discovers has to be done."    Aldous Huxley