Category: Science

Psychology, Science

The default Mode Network and the Death of the Ego: the effects of Psychedelics

Harry John Psychedelic experiences often feature a profound ego death: a loss of the usual sense of “I.” One DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) user vividly described this as an explosion of selfhood: “I had my ego exploded in fragments and ‘I’ stopped being ‘me’,” he wrote, feeling himself “rebuilt with every part of the cosmos.” In Freud’s theory, ‘the ego’ is the executive mediator between instinct (the … Continue reading The default Mode Network and the Death of the Ego: the effects of Psychedelics

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Psychology, Science

The superstitious mind: why irrational beliefs shape the way humans exist

Victor Guan We’ve all done it, whether it be avoiding the cracks on the pavement so as not to ‘break our mother’s back’ or crossing our fingers for ‘good luck’ before a big fixture. Often these small, seemingly irrational tendencies are disregarded, yet they have substantial influence within culture and society. Superstition is defined as an irrational belief in the significance or magical efficacy of … Continue reading The superstitious mind: why irrational beliefs shape the way humans exist

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Science

The science behind memory loss and its unexpected benefits

Forgetting is usually seen as a weakness of the human brain; it leaves us struggling to recall names, misplacing objects, or overlooking details we once knew well. However, modern neuroscience suggests that forgetting is not merely a passive decay of information, but an active and biologically important process that allows the brain to maintain cognitive efficiency and prioritise relevant information. Most of us probably know … Continue reading The science behind memory loss and its unexpected benefits

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