Did Magic Mushrooms Make Us Human?
A psychedelic neuroscientist breaks down the stoned ape hypothesis, what the evidence actually says, and the better story hiding underneath.
Born Again, Again by Dr. Chloe West
A newsletter for seekers reconstructing after religion. Essays grounded in the science of belief, spirituality, and psychedelics. All posts are free for one month after publication, then move to the archive. Paid subscribers get full access to the archive
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The 2,500-Year-Old Answer to "Let Go and Let God"
A neuroscientist's battle with free will, control, and surrender
Can Flashing Light Make You Trip?
A Neuroscientist Finds Out
DMT: The Life Molecule
A theory on why there is DMT inside of you and me.
The Utility of a Belief
On ego dissolution, the teachings of Jesus, and the slow transformation of doing rather than believing.
The Magic of the Sng'oi
A Malaysian tribe that seems superhuman, the neuroscience that might explain it, and a question about the limits of human ability.
Do Psychedelics Know What Needs Letting Go?
The neuroscience of why psychedelics like mushrooms target the beliefs that have a grip on you.
What Is It Like to Be a Doorknob?
On panpsychism, psychedelics, and whether the universe is conscious
Inside the Entropic Brain
How a little disorder in the brain heals mental disorders.
Frankenjesus
Tracing how the idea of God keeps changing, and whether I am even worshiping the same one anymore.
No, Science Doesn't Prove the Existence of God
I went into neuroscience looking for proof of God I could never find. This is why I keep seeking anyway.