Drugs and psychedelics
![Stained glass artwork depicting two figures in medieval attire, one seated and sleeping, the other standing, on a blue background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/08d448f7-5e70-45be-9e39-76cfdd824ce6/dp102833.jpeg?top=199&left=979&cropWidth=2304&cropHeight=1296&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
idea
William James was right about our strange inner experiences
Rather than Freud’s cynicism or Jung’s enthusiasm, we need an inquisitive approach to unusual forms of consciousness
by David Yaden
![Abstract photo of a vivid orange-red sunset blurred by branches, creating a painterly effect.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/f4d1ded9-a6bf-40be-9a0b-779dc13437fd/par142810.jpeg?top=231&left=0&cropWidth=5168&cropHeight=2907&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Drugs and psychedelics
idea
Psychedelics show religion isn’t the only route to spirituality
Secular people can have profound psychedelic experiences. What does that say about spirituality and the naturalistic worldview?
by Chris Letheby
![A couple with reflective glasses in a blurry, overexposed setting with curtains and chairs, an orange-yellow tint.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6432fdda-2bfa-4bd0-b06b-2faec76e31c8/original.jpg?top=0&left=0&cropWidth=1800&cropHeight=1800&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Drugs and psychedelics
guide
How to have a safe psychedelic trip
A psychedelic experience can be deeply rewarding, but also carries real risks. Here’s how to avoid a bad trip
by Christian Jarrett
![A man wearing an eye mask lies on a bed while another person observes; a monitor and lamp are on the nearby table.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9b2bac35-e00d-4a46-987c-1e87a1e8360d/an-act-of-service-landscape-1.jpg?top=0&left=0&cropWidth=2560&cropHeight=1440&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Emerging therapies
film
What does ketamine-assisted therapy look like? Inside one firefighter’s journey
Directed by Brandon Kapelow
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Drugs and psychedelics
idea
To learn from a psychedelic trip, explore the dreams that follow
Psychedelic experiences, properly digested, offer opportunities for change – and the dreams that follow them can help
by Mackenzie Amara
![Black and white photo of two women in swimsuits, one lighting the other’s cigarette while holding a towel, vintage style.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/afa17fdf-940d-4c31-89d7-1c7945a7e12f/final-3417711.jpg?top=330&left=4&cropWidth=2416&cropHeight=1359&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Drugs and psychedelics
idea
Cigarette! Exquisite fiend, ephemeral friend, how I miss you
Melancholic and alluring, addictive and seductive, cigarettes were the excuse for a sweet pause between lovers and friends
by Caroline Eden
![Dimly lit dining scene with blurred flowers in foreground; two people converse at a table over food and wine](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/38c3fc49-8dda-4e8f-90bd-de957fdc80fe/original.jpg?top=0&left=0&cropWidth=1800&cropHeight=1800&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Addiction
guide
How to know if you’re addicted
Do you feel uneasy about your drinking or drug use? Recognising the signs of addiction can be the first step to recovery
by Rebecca E Williams
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Altered states
film
Ride along on a road trip suffused with LSD, petty theft and true love
Directed by Aric Allen
![Photo of a wolf standing in a sunlit paddock with mountains and trees in the background, creating a serene atmosphere.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ee9fd652-e09a-4068-8dc8-aff99340a7a2/nn11583536.jpeg?top=1264&left=0&cropWidth=8256&cropHeight=4644&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Altered states
idea
Altered states can help us face death with serenity and levity
Near-death and out-of-body experiences can help us embrace our impermanence, letting us live and face death with serenity
by Sam Gandy, Samantha Treasure, Jade Shaw & Alexander Beiner
![A painting of six men playing cards in a rustic room with a fireplace and ladder. One man wears a red hat.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ccf26b45-e2bd-41bd-875d-d8ec9a4a21d4/431477-1384873278.jpeg?top=775&left=0&cropWidth=1776&cropHeight=999&width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Drugs and psychedelics
idea
What can Kant tell us about the perils and promise of booze?
Drinking like a philosopher: what does Immanuel Kant have to say about the role of intoxication in our overlooked lives?
by Matthew Perkins-McVey