Dr David Luke
@drdluke.bsky.social
Professor of Exceptional Experience, researcher, writer, wronger, psychedelic Indiana Jones..
'Dream yoga on the high seas - On pirate utopias and intellectual and psychic piracy.' My latest post on Substack, exploring the very body, mind and soul of pirates, and, well, everyone really.
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/dream-yoga...
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/dream-yoga...
Dream yoga on the high seas
On pirate utopias and intellectual and psychic piracy
davidluke543044.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:39 PM
'Dream yoga on the high seas - On pirate utopias and intellectual and psychic piracy.' My latest post on Substack, exploring the very body, mind and soul of pirates, and, well, everyone really.
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/dream-yoga...
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/dream-yoga...
You've undoubtedly heard of apparently precognitive dreams, or possibly had one. You may've even heard of the 'law of large numbers' as an explanation. But have you heard of the 'law of at large slumbers'?
New substack about my Popular Mechanics interview
substack.com/profile/1969...
New substack about my Popular Mechanics interview
substack.com/profile/1969...
January 23, 2026 at 5:27 PM
You've undoubtedly heard of apparently precognitive dreams, or possibly had one. You may've even heard of the 'law of large numbers' as an explanation. But have you heard of the 'law of at large slumbers'?
New substack about my Popular Mechanics interview
substack.com/profile/1969...
New substack about my Popular Mechanics interview
substack.com/profile/1969...
My latest post on Substack, where I whine about Wikipedia, fail to coin a new psychological term, find myself sceptical about organised skepticism, but end up very much admiring some abstract art.. in..
The Battle of Portmanteau
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-battle...
The Battle of Portmanteau
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-battle...
The Battle of Portmanteau
On finding artistic patterns in the war with guerrilla skeptics and their rigid support for a Nazi psychiatrist
davidluke543044.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:07 AM
My latest post on Substack, where I whine about Wikipedia, fail to coin a new psychological term, find myself sceptical about organised skepticism, but end up very much admiring some abstract art.. in..
The Battle of Portmanteau
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-battle...
The Battle of Portmanteau
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-battle...
Following on from my interview with @matthabusby.bsky.social
for DoubleBlind last week I've further extended some of those insights into the highly speculative psychedelic origins of (or contributions to) language evolution into a new Substack post -
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/reawakenin...
for DoubleBlind last week I've further extended some of those insights into the highly speculative psychedelic origins of (or contributions to) language evolution into a new Substack post -
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/reawakenin...
Reawakening the Stoned Ape
On the possible psychedelic origins of language, and why there might be better options than attending a ‘once every 17 years’ hypersexual psychedelic zombie orgy swarm party
davidluke543044.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Following on from my interview with @matthabusby.bsky.social
for DoubleBlind last week I've further extended some of those insights into the highly speculative psychedelic origins of (or contributions to) language evolution into a new Substack post -
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/reawakenin...
for DoubleBlind last week I've further extended some of those insights into the highly speculative psychedelic origins of (or contributions to) language evolution into a new Substack post -
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/reawakenin...
Excited that Breaking Convention, the UK's largest & oldest (& arguably best) psychedelic research conference, is returning to SE London in 2026 at the next door wich to Greenwich. Woolwich. I guess any old wich will do so long as you know which wich is which. See you there? breakingconvention.co.uk
January 9, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Excited that Breaking Convention, the UK's largest & oldest (& arguably best) psychedelic research conference, is returning to SE London in 2026 at the next door wich to Greenwich. Woolwich. I guess any old wich will do so long as you know which wich is which. See you there? breakingconvention.co.uk
Some suggestion from this interesting new research that 'couples who trip together, stick together' - www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Associations of Couples’ Psychedelic Use with Shared Reality and Relational Well-Being
The resurgence in research with classic psychedelics (e.g. LSD, psilocybin) underscores their potential for improved well-being; however, the interpersonal context and mechanisms of psychedelic imp...
www.tandfonline.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Some suggestion from this interesting new research that 'couples who trip together, stick together' - www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Had a great day listening to Max Cooper's incredible music through the 360 multilayered immersive sound installation at the University of Greenwich Immersive Lab with Max & a fantastic crew of fellow audionauts as part of my PhD student Viviana Caros project into audio ASCs & spiritual experience.
January 7, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Had a great day listening to Max Cooper's incredible music through the 360 multilayered immersive sound installation at the University of Greenwich Immersive Lab with Max & a fantastic crew of fellow audionauts as part of my PhD student Viviana Caros project into audio ASCs & spiritual experience.
The serpent's tale of the original medical staff - Hippocrates and the therapeutēs
On altered states, visionary experience and healing in ancient Greece, the Amazon and my back garden
My latest substack:
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-serpen...
On altered states, visionary experience and healing in ancient Greece, the Amazon and my back garden
My latest substack:
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-serpen...
January 4, 2026 at 6:45 PM
The serpent's tale of the original medical staff - Hippocrates and the therapeutēs
On altered states, visionary experience and healing in ancient Greece, the Amazon and my back garden
My latest substack:
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-serpen...
On altered states, visionary experience and healing in ancient Greece, the Amazon and my back garden
My latest substack:
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/the-serpen...
An auto-eulogising round up of my the lost/last year..
Chasing academic chimeras in the pursuit of exceptional experiences:
2025 as the year of dream temples, salamanders, psychedelics and sawing children in half..
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/chasing-ac...
Chasing academic chimeras in the pursuit of exceptional experiences:
2025 as the year of dream temples, salamanders, psychedelics and sawing children in half..
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/chasing-ac...
Chasing academic chimeras in the pursuit of exceptional experiences
2025 as the year of dream temples, salamanders, psychedelics and sawing children in half..
davidluke543044.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:58 PM
An auto-eulogising round up of my the lost/last year..
Chasing academic chimeras in the pursuit of exceptional experiences:
2025 as the year of dream temples, salamanders, psychedelics and sawing children in half..
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/chasing-ac...
Chasing academic chimeras in the pursuit of exceptional experiences:
2025 as the year of dream temples, salamanders, psychedelics and sawing children in half..
davidluke543044.substack.com/p/chasing-ac...
Props to the CPEP research team tinyurl.com/ywa6jbe8 especially lead author @eirini-k-a.bsky.social, our paper on post-psychedelic ontological shock got selected by PLOS One editors from among 1000s as a stand out paper in medicine in 2025.
everyone.plos.org/2025/12/16/e...
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
everyone.plos.org/2025/12/16/e...
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Editors' picks: A highlight of 2025 publications - EveryONE
Reflecting on the publications in PLOS One in 2025, the diversity and quality of the work is demonstrated in articles ranging from…
everyone.plos.org
December 19, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Props to the CPEP research team tinyurl.com/ywa6jbe8 especially lead author @eirini-k-a.bsky.social, our paper on post-psychedelic ontological shock got selected by PLOS One editors from among 1000s as a stand out paper in medicine in 2025.
everyone.plos.org/2025/12/16/e...
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
everyone.plos.org/2025/12/16/e...
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
A third-eye peeping exploration by Webb Wright of that particular 'dimethyltrypta-meme' that the pineal gland is the seat of the soul and neurochemical factory of the spirit molecule DMT, for which I chimed in with a few (interdimensional) observations.. newsletter.doubleblindmag.com/p/why-the-pi...
Why the Pineal Gland Became a Spiritual Fixation
In today's dispatch, we're unpacking what we actually know about the pineal gland.
newsletter.doubleblindmag.com
December 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM
A third-eye peeping exploration by Webb Wright of that particular 'dimethyltrypta-meme' that the pineal gland is the seat of the soul and neurochemical factory of the spirit molecule DMT, for which I chimed in with a few (interdimensional) observations.. newsletter.doubleblindmag.com/p/why-the-pi...
Great article by @matthabusby.bsky.social on the origin story of psychonaut scientist Bruce Damer & the origin story of life on earth, and Bruce's MINDS project exploring the use of psychedelic for scientific creative problem solving nautil.us/the-psychede... see also doi.org/10.1177/2050...
The Psychedelic Scientist
The Psychedelic Scientist: High on ayahuasca, Bruce Damer saw how life on Earth began. He may very well be right.
nautil.us
December 16, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Great article by @matthabusby.bsky.social on the origin story of psychonaut scientist Bruce Damer & the origin story of life on earth, and Bruce's MINDS project exploring the use of psychedelic for scientific creative problem solving nautil.us/the-psychede... see also doi.org/10.1177/2050...
Great piece by Tamlin Magee for BBC celebrates the many unsung contributions of Erowid.org to drug policy, culture and science & interviewing psychedelic nerds like myself, Erik Davis, Rick Doblin, Leor Roseman, & Nicolas Langlitz
October 23, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Great piece by Tamlin Magee for BBC celebrates the many unsung contributions of Erowid.org to drug policy, culture and science & interviewing psychedelic nerds like myself, Erik Davis, Rick Doblin, Leor Roseman, & Nicolas Langlitz
A fascinating @drugscience.bsky.social podcast interview by David Nutt with 3 SAS paramedics, echoing the findings of our naturalistic pilot study of 5 paramedics who took psilocybin to deal with work place stress, with reductions in burnout, stress & compassion fatigue..
tinyurl.com/ycujmvw7
tinyurl.com/ycujmvw7
138. Scottish Ambulance Service - Frontline Trauma with John, Joanne and Ryan
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
tinyurl.com
October 18, 2025 at 10:22 AM
A fascinating @drugscience.bsky.social podcast interview by David Nutt with 3 SAS paramedics, echoing the findings of our naturalistic pilot study of 5 paramedics who took psilocybin to deal with work place stress, with reductions in burnout, stress & compassion fatigue..
tinyurl.com/ycujmvw7
tinyurl.com/ycujmvw7
Really excited to be returning to Dublin for Samhain for the 2nd IMBAS Psychedelic Research Conference organised by Irish Doctors for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy @IdPat7 & the Psychedelic Research Group, Trinity College Dublin. I'll be talking Ecodelia & the Art of Lichenthropy www.idpat.ie/events
Events | Irish Doctors for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
We will keep you posted on upcoming educational events in the field of psychedelic medicine.
www.idpat.ie
October 10, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Really excited to be returning to Dublin for Samhain for the 2nd IMBAS Psychedelic Research Conference organised by Irish Doctors for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy @IdPat7 & the Psychedelic Research Group, Trinity College Dublin. I'll be talking Ecodelia & the Art of Lichenthropy www.idpat.ie/events
Will be giving a short talk tonight for Numinous Ways on Entity Encounters in Psychedelic Experience.. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dr-david-l...
Dr David Luke presents: Entity Encounters in Psychedelic Experience
Dr David Luke will discuss how psychedelics induce entity encounters, exploring their cultural, psychological, and transformative aspects.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
October 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Will be giving a short talk tonight for Numinous Ways on Entity Encounters in Psychedelic Experience.. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dr-david-l...
Encouraging to see this recent UK Gov's Natural England commissioned report on the importance of nature connection, and also that it mentions our research on the enhanced wellbeing & connection to nature derived from psychedelic experiences tinyurl.com/265z58wn
Connection to Nature - EIN068
{"flavour": "textile", "content": "This briefing focuses on the evidence for connection to nature and is one of a series that summarises evidence of the links between the natural environment and a ran...
tinyurl.com
October 6, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Encouraging to see this recent UK Gov's Natural England commissioned report on the importance of nature connection, and also that it mentions our research on the enhanced wellbeing & connection to nature derived from psychedelic experiences tinyurl.com/265z58wn
Finally I am giving a talk in a venue that matches my end-of-the-pier 'standard' of humour - The Gaiety, Portsmouth, next Monday 6th October, for The Science of Psychedelics.. "I'm here all week!"
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-scienc...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-scienc...
September 29, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Finally I am giving a talk in a venue that matches my end-of-the-pier 'standard' of humour - The Gaiety, Portsmouth, next Monday 6th October, for The Science of Psychedelics.. "I'm here all week!"
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-scienc...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-scienc...
This new collaborative paper from 17 @drugscience.bsky.social professionals (myself included) in the field presents a new standardized terminology for psychedelic research and treatment to guide clinical development, dosing, safety monitoring, and regulatory classification.
doi.org/10.1177/2050...
doi.org/10.1177/2050...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
doi.org
September 25, 2025 at 11:26 PM
This new collaborative paper from 17 @drugscience.bsky.social professionals (myself included) in the field presents a new standardized terminology for psychedelic research and treatment to guide clinical development, dosing, safety monitoring, and regulatory classification.
doi.org/10.1177/2050...
doi.org/10.1177/2050...
Kudos to @matthabusby.bsky.social for writing this much needed piece about challenging psychedelic experiences (& the CPE project - challengingpsychedelicexperiences.com) and their potential for extended difficulties. Including a quote from my good s'elf.
statesofmind.com/psychedelic-...
statesofmind.com/psychedelic-...
Do Difficult Psychedelic Experiences Hurt or Heal You? Inside The World’s Bad Trip Debate
Many believe that "bad" trips should be reframed as challenging parts of the healing process. Does that ignore the risks?
statesofmind.com
September 9, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Kudos to @matthabusby.bsky.social for writing this much needed piece about challenging psychedelic experiences (& the CPE project - challengingpsychedelicexperiences.com) and their potential for extended difficulties. Including a quote from my good s'elf.
statesofmind.com/psychedelic-...
statesofmind.com/psychedelic-...
Looking forward to give the first @SeedTalks event on parapsychology.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-phenom...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-phenom...
September 2, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Looking forward to give the first @SeedTalks event on parapsychology.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-phenom...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-phenom...
Off to The Electric Picnic festival in Ireland with SeedTalks to find some craic and rant about #psychedelics .. see you there?
www.electricpicnic.ie/artists/#/ev...
www.electricpicnic.ie/artists/#/ev...
Artists
Artists
www.electricpicnic.ie
August 28, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Off to The Electric Picnic festival in Ireland with SeedTalks to find some craic and rant about #psychedelics .. see you there?
www.electricpicnic.ie/artists/#/ev...
www.electricpicnic.ie/artists/#/ev...
Reposted by Dr David Luke
NEW TEN-PART AUDIO SERIES about #PSYCHEDELICS
Out now on BBC Sounds - and other podcast spaces.
Co-written & presented by the beautifully curious @timhayward.bsky.social
Production, sound design and mix by me.
It's been a fascinating and challenging process to get here...
I do hope you'll listen.
Out now on BBC Sounds - and other podcast spaces.
Co-written & presented by the beautifully curious @timhayward.bsky.social
Production, sound design and mix by me.
It's been a fascinating and challenging process to get here...
I do hope you'll listen.
BBC Radio 4 - Understand, The Trip
Tim Hayward looks at the science, culture, history - and future - of psychedelics.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM
NEW TEN-PART AUDIO SERIES about #PSYCHEDELICS
Out now on BBC Sounds - and other podcast spaces.
Co-written & presented by the beautifully curious @timhayward.bsky.social
Production, sound design and mix by me.
It's been a fascinating and challenging process to get here...
I do hope you'll listen.
Out now on BBC Sounds - and other podcast spaces.
Co-written & presented by the beautifully curious @timhayward.bsky.social
Production, sound design and mix by me.
It's been a fascinating and challenging process to get here...
I do hope you'll listen.
Really enjoying listening to the extraordinary insights, perfect prose, witty banter, & stellar scholarship of Andrew Gallimore's audio version of his latest book, "Death by Astonishment" on the alien worlds of DMT. Hard copies launch Monday.
Look after yer 'elf!
www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Astoni...
Look after yer 'elf!
www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Astoni...
August 16, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Really enjoying listening to the extraordinary insights, perfect prose, witty banter, & stellar scholarship of Andrew Gallimore's audio version of his latest book, "Death by Astonishment" on the alien worlds of DMT. Hard copies launch Monday.
Look after yer 'elf!
www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Astoni...
Look after yer 'elf!
www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Astoni...
Interesting new paper found among psychedelic researchers most (86%) agree #psychedelic experiences have exceptional potential in treating psychiatric conditions, but only 28% agreed they could be used to help solve the ecological crisis..
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Psychedelic researchers’ own experiences of psychedelic substances, their link to opinions of psychedelics, and reflections on positionality - Psychopharmacology
Rationale Anecdotal evidence suggests that psychedelic researchers often have personal experiences with psychedelic substances. While such experiences may benefit research, concerns have been raised a...
link.springer.com
August 13, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Interesting new paper found among psychedelic researchers most (86%) agree #psychedelic experiences have exceptional potential in treating psychiatric conditions, but only 28% agreed they could be used to help solve the ecological crisis..
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...