We've all heard the spiritual talk: "Meditation can dissolve the ego," or "True enlightenment is just a moment away." But how does that stack up against a chemical shortcut, like a powerful psychedelic? ​Imperial College London, led by Dr. Chris Timmermann, decided to find out. They put one of the world's most advanced Mahamudra meditators—a Lama with 17 years and over ten thousand hours of practice—into the lab. ​The question that drives this research? Can the sense of self switch off in more than one way? ​The Experiment: Nond Gual vs. 5-MeO-DMT ​This was a first-of-its-kind experiment. They directly compared the Lama's brain and self-awareness across three different conditions, all within one protocol: - ​Nond Gual Meditation: The Lama entered a deep meditative state where the boundary between "me" and the world softened. He reported clarity and equanimity. - ​Low Dose 5-MeO-DMT: A small dose of the psychedelic, which brought imagery, emotional shifts, and a quieter sense of self. - ​High Dose 5-MeO-DMT: A stronger dose that completely removed the body and the environment, leaving only a bright, empty awareness. The Lama described the awareness as subtle, with no notion of the "gross aspect of self". ​They tracked brain data, psychological ratings, and interviews moment-by-moment. ​🧠 What the Brain Waves Told Us ​Brain rhythms are just electrical waves that shift with different states of mind. The recordings revealed some seriously intriguing differences: - ​Nond Gual Meditation & Low Dose 5-MeO: The brain became quieter and more stable. Alpha activity (linked to calm focus and a quiet mind) increased, and gamma activity (linked to active thinking and intense sensory processing) dropped. - ​High Dose 5-MeO: This was a different beast entirely. Gamma activity increased, and the signal became chaotic. The brain signal showed high Neural Entropy (a measure of chaotic brain signal), matching the flood of intense internal experience. - - The Big Takeaway: An AI trained on the Lama's nond Gual brain activity recognized the low dose of 5-MeO as similar—they shared an overlapping neural signature. But the AI did not recognize the high dose.

L1: For the desired outcome of a ceremony to occur, your intention must be fully congruent with your current neurocognitive, emotional, and physiological states. L2: There are no shortcuts, you have to place your foot on all the rungs of the stepladder. You may spend more time on those you have skipped in the past. L3: The "outcome" might have a form you will only recognize days after the retreat. I don’t know if this makes sense to anyone.

For somme months now, the first minute after waking up or the one before I fall asleep, I experience a vibratory sensation, as if a slight and pleasant electric current is traversing my whole body. This sensation has gone another dimension during the last retreat, one sleepless night (they all were), as I felt like a rain of sparkling water was entering my body and stayed there sparkling for a while. As long as this sensation lasts, I feel peace, almost bliss. I reminds me of what I experienced during my second ceremony, last year. Then the mind starts its working day and the bliss quickly fades away. Sometimes during tre day, I can perceive from the heights of the cerebral cortex the sparkling water set to work... This morning, for the first time, I could temporarily quiet the mind and reconnect with the sensation. The light is gaining ground.

Before you were born, your soul made a sacred agreement to enrol in the Divine Curriculum of Earth School for the purpose of transformation and healing. Within this journey, your shadow is one of the most powerful teachers, revealing the parts of yourself you resist or hide, unhealed wounds, hidden fears and untapped potential. Your shadow mirrors the duality of your existence, the contrast between light and dark that is you. And it shapes the human experience. By embracing it, you reclaim the power it holds. This integration is the alchemy of transforming pain into purpose, and darkness into light. You are not your darkness, but I trust what you’ve learned there to be the tool to spark this. Your shadow shows me the height of your light. We’ll spin and we’ll freeze, melt, break, and bring the sun into night. Inquire with purpose, bring light to the circus. The moments truth speaks make all doubt sound worthless. It’s all such a dream. Breathe, stitch the seam. So what is the beam that your belt’s down from star? It illuminates love and stands right where you are. What is that scar that you wear on your chest? Hang on to love and let go of the rest. You are not your pain, but I see the wisdom it left behind. Every scar, a map, a memory, a guide to the truth you’ll find deep inside. Your wounds let the light seep through, revealing the beauty of all you’ve been through. Bring God to the surface in all that you do. Allow unconditional love to flow through all parts of you. Embrace every shadow, every flaw, every part. For within them lies the whole of your heart. Trust in the journey both calm and wild. Through the depths you free your inner child. This life is a dance between peace and stress. Hold on to love. Let go of the rest.

"Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded the groundbreaking therapy designation to 5-MeO-DMT of the toad poison alvarius, in a significant breakthrough for psychedelic medicine." The designation was awarded to BPL-003, a new intranasal formulation of 5-MeO-DMT developed by Atai Life Sciences and Beckley Psytech. The regulatory body's decision aims to accelerate the development of BPL-003 as a treatment for adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a condition that affects up to 30% of the 280 million people worldwide living with depression. The FDA decision comes after promising results of a Phase 2b clinical trial, which demonstrated that a single dose of BPL-003 produced rapid and sustained reductions of depressive symptoms within 24 hours, with effects lasting up to eight weeks. It should be noted that most participants were ready for discharge just 90 minutes after treatment, which highlights the potential of a scalable treatment model in the clinic. 5-MeO-DMT is a natural psychedelic compound present in several species. Its best-known presence can be found in the venom Incilius alvarius (Sonora desert frog), as well as other Bufo frogs. It is also found in certain plants, such as Virola and Anadenanthera peregrina species. Companies claim that BPL-003 is designed to provide fast and lasting antidepressant effects with a single dose and a short therapeutic experience. Innovative Therapy designation facilitates intensive FDA guidance to support development of BPL-003. Phase 3 trials are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026, subject to FDA approval. Other innovative therapies designations in psychedelic compounds: The FDA has previously awarded groundbreaking therapy designations to other psychedelic compounds, highlighting the growing recognition of psychedelics in mental health treatment: Psilocybin: In 2018, the FDA awarded psilocybin the groundbreaking therapy designation for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. In 2019, he received a second designation for major depressive disorder.