3 experts reveal how psychedelics can expand the walls of perception
Aug 31, 2025
Dive into the mind-bending exploration of consciousness as experts discuss the transformative potential of psychedelics. Discover how substances like psilocybin and LSD can dissolve boundaries of identity, leading to profound connections with oneself and the universe. The conversation reveals both the therapeutic benefits and the risks involved, emphasizing the importance of supportive experiences. It's a fascinating look at how altering perception can change our understanding of reality!
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insights INSIGHT
Self Expands Beyond The Box
Psychedelics can make you realize you are both inside and outside your usual sense of self.
That shift can permanently widen how you perceive the world and your place in it.
insights INSIGHT
Different Drugs, Shared Reality Shift
Classic psychedelics act primarily at the serotonin 2A receptor but other drugs alter different systems.
What unites them is their power to profoundly change one's sense of reality and self.
insights INSIGHT
Four Common Qualities Of Altered States
Altered states often include selflessness, timelessness, effortlessness, and increased perceptual richness.
These arise because networks in the brain change which knocks out normal self-consciousness and time calculation.
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This video was made in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.
What happens when the boundaries of “you” disappear? James Fadiman, PhD, Jamie Wheal, and Matthew Johnson, PhD explore how supported experiences with psychoactive drugs can dissolve identity and reveal a deeper reality.
What if one experience could make you lose your sense of self, forget time, and feel deeply connected to everything around you?
Experts Jamie Wheal, Matthew Johnson, PhD., and James Fadiman, PhD. Give us a deeper look at psychedelic medicine, exploring how substances like psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca change the way we see ourselves and the world. Used carefully, they can bring insight and unity. However, without support, they can be overwhelming and reveal just how fragile our sense of reality can be. These researchers explain the difference.
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About Matthew Johnson, PhD:
Matthew W. Johnson, PhD, is The Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the world’s most widely published experts on psychedelics. He has published research on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and depression treatment.
About James Fadiman PhD:
Dr. James Fadiman is a leading scientific expert on the use of psychedelics for personal exploration, healing, and transformation. He has been researching, writing and lecturing on the topic for more than fifty years. His research focuses on exploring the potential of psychedelics to help individuals achieve a more meaningful, balanced and enlightened life.
About Jamie Wheal:
Jamie Wheal is the author of the global best-seller and Pulitzer Prize-nominated Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs and Maverick Scientists are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work and the founder of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to the research and training of ultimate human performance. Since founding the organization in 2011, it has gone on to become the leading voice of evidence-based peak performance in the world, counting award-winning academics, legendary professional athletes, special operations commanders, and Fortune 500 business leaders among the hundreds of thousands of people in its global community.
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