Emergent Simplicity or A Toy Model of the 5-MeO-DMT Psychedelic Effect

In this episode, we explore the idea of emergent simplicity - the idea that adding just one extra component to a complex system can cause it to "tip" into a drastically simpler state. We use the example of adding carbon dioxide to the Earth, which would cause the Earth to become a much simpler system where neither life nor liquid water would exist. We also use the example of adding 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyl tryptamine to the human brain, which would cause the brain to become a much simpler system where neither selfhood nor agency would exist.