Sam Woolfe
@samwoolfe.bsky.social
Freelance writer & author of Altered Perspectives: Critical Essays on Psychedelic Consciousness (2024). Interested in non-ordinary states, mental health, psychology, ethics, and film.
https://www.samwoolfe.com
https://www.samwoolfe.com
An article I wrote on Brian Yuzna's amazing body horror films, including From Beyond (1986), Society (1989), and Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990).
I also explore the question of why people enjoy films that trigger a negative emotion like disgust.
I also explore the question of why people enjoy films that trigger a negative emotion like disgust.
Master of Disgust: Inside the Body Horror Films of Brian Yuzna
If Alfred Hitchcock is the ‘master of suspense’, then I think we can call filmmaker Brian Yuzna the ‘master of disgust’ (or at least, one of the masters in this subtype of horror). Born in 1949, the A...
www.samwoolfe.com
December 29, 2025 at 6:04 PM
An article I wrote on Brian Yuzna's amazing body horror films, including From Beyond (1986), Society (1989), and Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990).
I also explore the question of why people enjoy films that trigger a negative emotion like disgust.
I also explore the question of why people enjoy films that trigger a negative emotion like disgust.
A brilliant new biography of #Schopenhauer from @davidbatherwoods.bsky.social
December 27, 2025 at 2:01 PM
A brilliant new biography of #Schopenhauer from @davidbatherwoods.bsky.social
A slightly modified excerpt from my book Altered Perspectives. It's taken from Chapter 7, 'On Plant Spirits and Psychedelic Teleology, Part I'.
I discuss whether animism violates Occam's razor, as well as the criticisms of Occam's razor and why animism isn't committed to the supernatural.
I discuss whether animism violates Occam's razor, as well as the criticisms of Occam's razor and why animism isn't committed to the supernatural.
Animism, the Supernatural, and Occam's Razor
Parallels are often made between animism (the belief that spirits are everywhere) and panpsychism (the belief that consciousness/mind is everywhere). Indeed, under an animistic belief system, it is po...
www.samwoolfe.com
December 16, 2025 at 1:07 PM
A slightly modified excerpt from my book Altered Perspectives. It's taken from Chapter 7, 'On Plant Spirits and Psychedelic Teleology, Part I'.
I discuss whether animism violates Occam's razor, as well as the criticisms of Occam's razor and why animism isn't committed to the supernatural.
I discuss whether animism violates Occam's razor, as well as the criticisms of Occam's razor and why animism isn't committed to the supernatural.
The (current) tell-tale signs of AI-generated content.
Recently, I’ve been getting AI-generated emails about how someone’s read my book (they haven’t) and wants to help promote it. They’re full of these annoying turns of phrases and writing patterns.
Recently, I’ve been getting AI-generated emails about how someone’s read my book (they haven’t) and wants to help promote it. They’re full of these annoying turns of phrases and writing patterns.
From the ChatGPT community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the ChatGPT community
www.reddit.com
December 15, 2025 at 12:13 PM
The (current) tell-tale signs of AI-generated content.
Recently, I’ve been getting AI-generated emails about how someone’s read my book (they haven’t) and wants to help promote it. They’re full of these annoying turns of phrases and writing patterns.
Recently, I’ve been getting AI-generated emails about how someone’s read my book (they haven’t) and wants to help promote it. They’re full of these annoying turns of phrases and writing patterns.
It's been one year since my book came out. Time flies.
Thanks to everyone who got a copy. If anyone would like a copy to review, feel free to send me a message.
Thanks to everyone who got a copy. If anyone would like a copy to review, feel free to send me a message.
Altered Perspectives - Sam Woolfe
My first book, Altered Perspectives: Critical Essays on Psychedelic Consciousness, is available from major retailers worldwide. You can order it here. Summary This book consists of essays that are pri...
www.samwoolfe.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:46 AM
It's been one year since my book came out. Time flies.
Thanks to everyone who got a copy. If anyone would like a copy to review, feel free to send me a message.
Thanks to everyone who got a copy. If anyone would like a copy to review, feel free to send me a message.
I wrote about how psychedelic compounds in the future could be tweaked to offer people shorter or longer experiences, fewer side effects, and different subjective effects.
The Potential Future of Designer Psychedelics
One of the main motivations for creating designer psychedelics – or analogues of existing compounds – is to evade bans. LSD is illegal, so an analogue can be created (typically a purported prodrug of ...
www.samwoolfe.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I wrote about how psychedelic compounds in the future could be tweaked to offer people shorter or longer experiences, fewer side effects, and different subjective effects.
My latest blog post is on the idea of dreams as refuge, as well as the different relationships between dreams and waking life.
The Refuge of Dreams
In an earlier post on remembering dreams, I described recalling some adventurous and awe-inspiring dreams I had in the past, which got me thinking about how I often feel that these sorts of dreams are...
www.samwoolfe.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:13 PM
My latest blog post is on the idea of dreams as refuge, as well as the different relationships between dreams and waking life.
"A third of all Western Buddhist leaders come from Jewish roots.” - Rodger Kamenetz, The Jew in the Lotus
In this blog post, I look at some possible reasons why so many of the key figures of Western #Buddhism come from a Jewish background.
In this blog post, I look at some possible reasons why so many of the key figures of Western #Buddhism come from a Jewish background.
The Jewish Contribution to Western Buddhism
I’ve found it curious that many of the pioneers of Western Buddhism – those who brought Buddhism to the West and helped popularise it – are Jewish. Frank Descher details this phenomenon in his 2017 es...
www.samwoolfe.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:03 PM
"A third of all Western Buddhist leaders come from Jewish roots.” - Rodger Kamenetz, The Jew in the Lotus
In this blog post, I look at some possible reasons why so many of the key figures of Western #Buddhism come from a Jewish background.
In this blog post, I look at some possible reasons why so many of the key figures of Western #Buddhism come from a Jewish background.
I recently received the Blu-ray Collector's Edition of Louis Malle's 'The Fire Within' (1963), released by @umbrellaent.bsky.social. The booklet inside includes an essay I wrote on the film's portrayal of depression.
November 18, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I recently received the Blu-ray Collector's Edition of Louis Malle's 'The Fire Within' (1963), released by @umbrellaent.bsky.social. The booklet inside includes an essay I wrote on the film's portrayal of depression.
Really enjoyed the latest book by philosopher David Benatar, which is on 'quotidian #ethics', or the ethical issues we face in our everyday lives. The chapters I found the most interesting were the ones on sexual ethics, individual carbon footprints, bullshit, and forgiveness.
#philosophy #books
#philosophy #books
November 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Really enjoyed the latest book by philosopher David Benatar, which is on 'quotidian #ethics', or the ethical issues we face in our everyday lives. The chapters I found the most interesting were the ones on sexual ethics, individual carbon footprints, bullshit, and forgiveness.
#philosophy #books
#philosophy #books
My latest blog post is on the heavenly and hellish sides of time distortion and timelessness that people experience on psychedelics.
Elastic Minutes and Eternal Moments: How Psychedelics Alter the Perception of Time
Time distortion is one of the classic effects of psychedelics (although I rarely see this mentioned as an expected effect of psychedelics on educational, retreat, and therapy sites). I think that time...
www.samwoolfe.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:38 AM
My latest blog post is on the heavenly and hellish sides of time distortion and timelessness that people experience on psychedelics.
In my latest article for Numinous Ways, I look at how psychedelics can help enhance affirmation of sexual identity in the gay population, leading to improvements in mental health.
The Potential Benefits of Psychedelics for Gay People
Just as psychedelics can help straight people address issues of shame and depression, for reasons unrelated to sexuality, they can also be helpful for gay people in processing similar issues, but spec...
numinousways.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:46 PM
In my latest article for Numinous Ways, I look at how psychedelics can help enhance affirmation of sexual identity in the gay population, leading to improvements in mental health.
Definitely good mental health advice in general.
Tuesday Brunch: Four beliefs that cause bad trips and post-psychedelic difficulties
(and just...suffering in general)
www.ecstaticintegration.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Definitely good mental health advice in general.
For #MensMentalHealthMonth, I wrote this article on men's relationship to sex and sexual dysfunction, and how it is often tied to unhealthy expectations around masculinity.
Sex, Masculinity, And Men’s Silent Struggle • States Of Mind
Many men quietly carry anxiety and shame around sex and ideas of masculinity. It's time to update the conversation.
statesofmind.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:20 AM
For #MensMentalHealthMonth, I wrote this article on men's relationship to sex and sexual dysfunction, and how it is often tied to unhealthy expectations around masculinity.
Darkness retreats are on the rise. People who attend them report trippy effects and profound insights, but spending multiple days alone without sensory input can also lead to some unsettling experiences.
I wrote about their potential benefits and risks in this blog post.
I wrote about their potential benefits and risks in this blog post.
The Promise and Perils of Darkness Retreats
Darkness retreats involve spending a period of time in complete isolation and darkness. People do this for different reasons – to achieve an introspective state, a digital detox, a period of rest, or ...
www.samwoolfe.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Darkness retreats are on the rise. People who attend them report trippy effects and profound insights, but spending multiple days alone without sensory input can also lead to some unsettling experiences.
I wrote about their potential benefits and risks in this blog post.
I wrote about their potential benefits and risks in this blog post.
A review of my book from Alberto Cavallarin, published in a new journal, Acta Psychedelica. And the book review is the first publication in it, which is pretty cool.
#bookreview #philosophy #essays
#bookreview #philosophy #essays
Philosophical Encounters with Plant Spirits and DMT Entities: A Review of "Altered Perspectives: Critical Essays on Psychedelic Consciousness"
This essay presents an overview and analysis of Sam Woolfe's Altered Perspectives: Critical Essays on Psychedelic Consciousness. My critical remarks focus on the naturalistic "explaining away" of stra...
actapsychedelica.journal.fi
November 5, 2025 at 10:55 AM
A review of my book from Alberto Cavallarin, published in a new journal, Acta Psychedelica. And the book review is the first publication in it, which is pretty cool.
#bookreview #philosophy #essays
#bookreview #philosophy #essays
I wrote about the positive and negative ways that Letterboxd affects how we watch (and think about) films, which @strohltopia.bsky.social discusses in his latest book.
The Influence of Letterboxd on the Film-Watching Experience
Since I started using Letterboxd (four years ago), an unconscious tendency I developed when watching films is that, throughout the film, I’ll think about what Letterboxd rating I’m going to give it. I...
www.samwoolfe.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:22 PM
I wrote about the positive and negative ways that Letterboxd affects how we watch (and think about) films, which @strohltopia.bsky.social discusses in his latest book.
“It is the very strangeness of dreams in their divergence from waking experience that gives them their biological function."
Weird dreams train us for the unexpected, says new theory
AI inspires hypothesis that sleeping human brain might try to break its overfamiliarity with daily data
www.theguardian.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:42 PM
“It is the very strangeness of dreams in their divergence from waking experience that gives them their biological function."
"Paller was the lead author of a 2021 paper from Northwestern University which found that individuals in the midst of a lucid dream could communicate with (awake) researchers.... This is promising because dream research had previously relied largely on retrospective reports".
Fly around or make out with your crush: how to start lucid dreaming
We asked experts to share tips on how to take control of dreams once you realize you’re in it
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:36 PM
"Paller was the lead author of a 2021 paper from Northwestern University which found that individuals in the midst of a lucid dream could communicate with (awake) researchers.... This is promising because dream research had previously relied largely on retrospective reports".
An excerpt from my book Altered Perspectives. It's taken from Chapter 9, where I apply Henri Bergson's theory of déjà vu to the intense feeling of familiarity that many people experience under the influence of DMT (i.e. "I've been here before").
#philosophy #memory #Bergson
#philosophy #memory #Bergson
Bergson's Theory of Déjà Vu
In an intriguing essay titled ‘Memory of the Present and False Recognition’ (1908), the French philosopher Henri Bergson proposes that déjà vu is the result of memory and perception becoming intertw...
www.samwoolfe.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:27 PM
An excerpt from my book Altered Perspectives. It's taken from Chapter 9, where I apply Henri Bergson's theory of déjà vu to the intense feeling of familiarity that many people experience under the influence of DMT (i.e. "I've been here before").
#philosophy #memory #Bergson
#philosophy #memory #Bergson
Interesting discussion with @strohltopia.bsky.social and @politephilosopher.bsky.social on why we should resist letting algorithms decide what we watch, and the benefits of giving more time and attention to 'difficult' films, e.g. ones which are long, slow, or shocking.
Ep. 81: Resisting Algorithms & Appreciating Difficult Movies | A Discussion with Matt Strohl
YouTube video by Philosophers Discussing Art
www.youtube.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Interesting discussion with @strohltopia.bsky.social and @politephilosopher.bsky.social on why we should resist letting algorithms decide what we watch, and the benefits of giving more time and attention to 'difficult' films, e.g. ones which are long, slow, or shocking.
I wrote about how #personality differences affect people's responses to #veganism generally as well as to specific kinds of arguments for veganism. This is an underexplored challenge that many vegan activists face.
How Personality Shapes Our Receptivity to Veganism
When watching street debates with the vegan activists Earthling Ed and Joey Carbstrong, it becomes apparent to me that one of the biggest barriers they (and other activists) face is personality differ...
www.samwoolfe.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:41 PM
I wrote about how #personality differences affect people's responses to #veganism generally as well as to specific kinds of arguments for veganism. This is an underexplored challenge that many vegan activists face.
Very interesting read on charismatic Christianity and its recent rise in the UK.
"Charismatics are so focused on the demons outside the church, sometimes they miss the darkness within it…and within themselves." - @philosojules.bsky.social
"Charismatics are so focused on the demons outside the church, sometimes they miss the darkness within it…and within themselves." - @philosojules.bsky.social
Charismatic Christian nationalism in the UK
God's on the move in the UK, and He's carrying a pitchfork
www.ecstaticintegration.org
October 17, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Very interesting read on charismatic Christianity and its recent rise in the UK.
"Charismatics are so focused on the demons outside the church, sometimes they miss the darkness within it…and within themselves." - @philosojules.bsky.social
"Charismatics are so focused on the demons outside the church, sometimes they miss the darkness within it…and within themselves." - @philosojules.bsky.social
In this blog post, I look at whether psychedelics can be helpful for dealing with climate distress.
Processing Climate Anxiety and Eco-Grief Through Psychedelics
The climate crisis has seen, in response to it, a worsening of many people’s mental health. Climate anxiety (distress related to climate change and its effects) and eco-grief (mourning the damage and ...
www.samwoolfe.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:16 PM
In this blog post, I look at whether psychedelics can be helpful for dealing with climate distress.
Very interesting and needed. A Radio 4 programme from journalist Ed Prideaux on the blind spots and pitfalls of the psychedelic renaissance.
BBC Radio 4 - File on 4 Investigates, Trip Shocked
Psychedelics are going mainstream. But are we ignoring the risks?
www.bbc.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Very interesting and needed. A Radio 4 programme from journalist Ed Prideaux on the blind spots and pitfalls of the psychedelic renaissance.