This Tech is the Future of Tripping - Till Holzafpel, DemystifySci #346

Till Holzafpel is an engineer, programmer, consciousness
researcher, and hardware psychonaut who designs virtual reality
systems that can evoke the transcendent components of
psychedelics… without requiring the consumption any substances.
Much of his work is based on fact that there appears to be a
massive component of psychedelic experiences that comes from
sensory feedback, like sounds, patterns in the visual field, and
the tactile components of the environment. Even something as
simple as a flashing light can induce mystical experiences in a
significant fraction of the population, and plenty of research
suggests that there’s a visual component to the healing
properties of nature. As Till works on fitting those discoveries
into an entirely new class of VR programs, we sat down for a
conversation about how our sensory systems can be treated and
tweaked to induce altered states of consciousness, the value of
making this kind of experience widely accessible, and the
shortcomings of a purely biochemical approach to understanding
the impact of psychedelics on the human psyche. The video also
includes a demo of Brain Candy, his augmented reality program for
exploring consciousness through audio-visual patterns
(https://braincandyapp.com/). MAKE HISTORY WITH US THIS
SUMMER:https://demystifysci.com/demysticon-2025PATREON
https://www.patreon.com/c/demystifysciPARADIGM
DRIFThttps://demystifysci.com/paradigm-drift-show00:00 Go! 03:30
Fractals and Nature’s Design 08:00 The Aesthetics of Psychedelics
10:00 Personal Motivations for Psychedelics 15:00 Cannabis vs.
Psychedelics 19:00 Integration of Psychedelic Experiences 20:33
Ego Development and Integration 23:01 Psychedelics and
Consciousness Management 26:38 Historical Context of Psychedelic
Use 29:08 The Perception and Projection Dilemma 31:39 The
Intersection of AI and Psychedelic Experiences 37:28 Designing
for Consciousness and Well-being 40:52 Current State of Augmented
Reality and Psychedelic Research 44:54 Flicker Light Stimulation
and Its Effects 49:30 Challenges in Understanding Psychedelic
Experiences 55:03 Potential Societal Benefits of Psychedelic
Experiences 59:02 Acceptance of Ketamine as a Therapeutic Tool
01:00:27 Dissociation and Psychedelic Experiences 01:01:45
Neuroplasticity in Psychedelics 01:08:12 Ketamine and Acute
Suicidal Ideation 01:12:21 Integration of Psychedelics into
Medical Care 01:16:39 Critiques of Medicalizing Psychedelics
01:18:12 Discussion on Consciousness and Activity 01:23:01
Observer Dependence and Material Basis 01:28:24 Communication and
Meaning-Making 01:34:11 Interdisciplinary Dialogues and
Psychedelics 01:37:52 Transitioning Identities and Comfort Zones
01:39:00 The Art of Communication and the Trickster Archetype
01:41:20 Communication Dynamics and the Power of Comedy 01:43:00
Innovative Approaches to Sensory Experiences 01:46:30
Re-enchanting Modern Spaces for a Human Experience 01:49:55
Building Community Awareness Around Sensory Processing 01:51:30
Future Collaborations #psychedelicresearch , #consciousness ,
#neuroscience , #mysticalexperiences , #ego , #mindexpansion ,
#brainhealth , #fractaldesign , #integration, #selfdiscovery,
#neuroplasticity , #philosophypodcast , #sciencepodcast,
#longformpodcast ABOUS US: Anastasia completed her PhD studying
bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to
brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting,
reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his
PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular
water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in
music. They are both freelance professors at various
universities.