Sam Gandy

Have you encountered a praying mantis entity in an altered state of consciousness? An anonymous survey seeks feedback on encounters with praying mantis entities in altered states of consciousness (including but not limited to psychedelic experiences). The study seeks to shed light on elements of the encounter experiences and their interpretation and impact. This will allow for a more nuanced understanding of this phenomenon which has not been scientifically studied in detail before. Study Background This is a research collaboration led by Dr Sam Gandy (@samwisegandy ) with Prof. David Luke (drdluke) (University of Greenwich) and Samantha Treasure (@samanthaleetreasure ) (an OBE book author, anthropologist and independent researcher). The study was partly inspired by the @mantisencounters Reddit group, a 14,000+ strong community centred on encounters of this nature. Completing the survey should take around 20 minutes, depending on the level of feedback provided in the open text response segments of the survey. The study has been reviewed and given ethical approval through the University of Greenwich Research Ethics Board. Eligibility Criteria You are invited to participate in this survey if you fulfil all of the criteria listed below: 1). You are at least 18 years old. 2). You read, write, and speak English fluently. 3). You have had an encounter with a mantis entity. Link in our bio ✨ Artwork: @batuhanbintas #psychedelicresearch #entities #mantisencounters

These are the blooms of a wild service or chequer tree (formerly described as Sorbus torminalis, but recently reclassified as Torminalis glaberrima), one of our rarer and lesser known tree species in Britain, and one often associated with ancient woodland. I spotted this young tree on the edge of @kneppwildland estate, growing in a hedgerow at the base of a much larger and older oak. This was my first time seeing it in the wild, and finding it was curiously synchronistic for me. Just the day before finding this tree in the wild, I had planted a young sapling of this same tree, and had reached out to two knowledgeable people about what might be done to serve this increasingly scarce tree in a conservation-aligned fashion. Aside from its benefits to wildlife - with its foliage consumed by many insects, and its fruits and seeds consumed by birds and mammals - this tree was much more familiar and greatly valued in Britain in centuries past. Its timber was held in very high regard, as it still is in central Europe. Its fruit is also appreciated, described as having a tart flavour reminiscent of dates or dried apricots, but it must be ripened or ‘bletted’ before consuming. Richard Mabey, author of “Food for Free”, regards it as having one of the most fascinating tastes of any native fruit. In centuries past, its fruit was the basis of various alcoholic beverages drunk in “Chequers Inns”. While the service tree was never an abundant tree species in Britain, it is much rarer today than it used to be, as a result of woodland clearance, changing woodland management practices and overbrowsing by deer, existing in isolated, fragmented populations, with low seedling survivability. While formerly a familiar and much valued tree in centuries past, by 1820 horticulturist Henry Phillips had pronounced that “the service-berry-tree is now so thinly scattered over the country, that many farmers do not even know its existence”. However it isn’t a particularly fussy tree when it comes to the soil it grows in, and it exhibits partial drought tolerance, which may make it a good tree to plant with the projected impacts of a changing climate in mind.

It was great to see some beaver eco-engineering at @kneppwildland estate a few days ago. Even before becoming aware of the presence of beavers and their ecological sculpting, when strolling into the vicinity of this area, I noticed it had a different feel to it. And I don’t think it was just down to it being wetter than the surrounding landscape. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered signs of beaver presence in the British countryside (which aren’t exactly subtle once you know what to look for). You don’t need to see the animal in question to get a buzz off signs of their presence and activity. Encountering beaver inhabited areas feels special to me, as they have a primeval air about them, like stepping back in time. Being in such areas, it is clear that human dominion no longer holds sway over that patch of landscape. Encountering this I feel to be deeply invigorating and inspiring. The British landscape is heavily modified, manicured and managed. Fragments of truly wild nature are extremely rare and precious. While taming and holding dominion over our landscapes has no doubt borne us many rich fruits and affords us much convenience, I also wonder about the negative impacts it may have had. What wounds might we have unknowingly inflicted upon ourselves and how might it have impoverished us by so efficiently purging our landscape of truly wild, untamed nature? On my return home from my trip to Knepp yesterday, my mind was roiling with different emotions. A feeling of sadness and grief at how much richness of life we have lost from our landscapes. Joy at having been able to encounter such richness at Knepp. And hope at experiencing first hand a fragment of what could be once more. I’m grateful that such areas exist, and I feel the rewilding of our landscapes is not only essential for our wildlife, but also for amending our fractured relationship with the natural world.

*[sound up]* 🎶 This is the enchanting, melodious, bubbling song of the nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos). This bird makes the journey all the way from its overwintering grounds in West Africa, to temporarily settle in England to breed. This is a male singing, defending a territory while advertising his presence to any females in the vicinity (the females do not sing). Unlike many other birds, they sing both during the day and the night. Considered by some to be among the most beautiful sounds in nature, the nightingale’s song has inspired songs, fairy tales, opera, books, and poetry. A little over a century ago in 1924, history was made when the virtuoso cellist Beatrice Harrison performed a ‘duet’ with nightingales in her garden, comprising the first ever live BBC broadcast from a natural outdoors location. This bird was once widespread in the UK and its song was much more familiar to past generations; however its numbers here plummeted by over 90% in the last half century, and it is now largely restricted to southeast England. It favours protective thickets of thorny scrub in which to sing and breed, having been a victim of our overly manicured and managed landscape, with the loss of such habitat. Despite this bleak picture, it was very heartening to wander through @kneppwildland estate a few days ago and encounter such an abundance of singing nightingales. It was special to hear them singing while seeing white storks nesting, and others flying overhead. The land at Knepp was given over to nature and rewilding actions initiated a quarter century ago, and it is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Managed populations of mammals such as old breed cattle, horses and pigs (filling the niches of their wild ancestors) and deer sculpt the vegetation of the Knepp landscape, resulting in an abundance of scrub habitat. In 2021, 40 singing males were identified, with numbers only likely to increase over time. This highlights that a shift in land management priorities can result in a rapid turnaround in the fortunes of this much loved bird, and it is my hope that its song will once again become a more familiar sound of the British landscape.

As awareness of the environmental crisis deepens, so too does eco-anxiety, which has been described as a “chronic fear of environmental doom”. Arguably a healthy and rational response to the genuine severity of the ecological crisis we face, it reminds us of our fundamental interconnection with the wider biosphere, and that our wellbeing depends on the health of the planetary systems we’re part of. Eco-anxiety could act as a catalyst for widespread positive transformation and psychedelics may have a role to play. Research suggests they can help people process difficult emotions, foster inner resilience, reduce death anxiety, deepen connection with nature, shift perspective, and build social support when used in collective contexts and through group-based integration work. When paired with therapeutic frameworks, positive environmental action, and creative problem-solving, psychedelics could help us better adapt to the psychological burden of eco-anxiety while channelling it toward meaningful change on nature’s behalf. For Dr. Sam Gandy’s in-depth exploration of psychedelics and eco-anxiety (Chemical Collective), check out the link in our bio. #psychedelicresearch #natureconnection #ecoanxiety

For my next article for the @chemycollective , I shed some light on the topic of psychedelics and eco-anxiety. Eco-anxiety has been described as a “chronic fear of environmental doom”. As our impact on the planet grows, followed by awareness of this in its wake, rates of eco-anxiety are only projected to increase. There are also a lack of effective interventions with which to address it. Eco-anxiety should not be pathologised as a form of mental illness with symptoms that should be simply suppressed; rather, it should be acknowledged as a healthy canary in the coal mine response and indicator of the need for system change based on an accurate appraisal of the severity of the ecological crisis. However, it is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, and in its more severe forms, it can be debilitating and overwhelming, and lead to a more serious erosion of mental health While there is a lack of research work to demonstrate effective eco-anxiety interventions, recent reviews and research highlight a number of promising themes that bear relevance to the effects of psychedelics. These include processing difficult emotions; fostering inner resilience; reducing death anxiety; deepening connection with nature; shifting perspectives; and use of psychedelics in a group context to facilitate social connection and emotional support through post experience integration group work. For any potential benefits of psychedelics to be maximised, they may need to be paired with a number of therapeutic modalities, frameworks, and group work protocols that have already shown promise when applied in eco-anxiety contexts. It will also be important for psychedelic work to be paired with positive actions undertaken on nature’s behalf, with the sense of agency this engenders being important (this also having positive potential as an integration practice). One further potential benefit of psychedelics is their application in creative problem-solving endeavours. Eco-anxiety is a valid response to unfolding environmental crises, and a reminder of our interconnection and interdependence with the wider biosphere, and that our well-being is dependent on planetary well-being.

On this Earth Day, I’m shedding a light on a little known but very special (and scarce) British habitat - temperate or Celtic rainforest. While many of us Brits may not be aware that we share our island home with rainforest, in the words of one champion of this habitat, Merlin Hanbury-Tenison: “We are a rainforest people, who live in a rainforest nation”. A globally threatened habitat, temperate rainforests are more threatened than tropical rainforests. Parts of western Britain are particularly well suited to rainforest, with moisture-laden air coming in off the Atlantic. This ample year round moisture supports one of the characteristic features of this habitat, its epiphytes - plants that grow on other plants. These include ferns, lichens and bryophytes such as mosses, liverworts and hornworts, which adorn the canopy and trunks of trees, providing distinctive year round greenness. In centuries past, up to 20% of Britain may have been covered in rainforest, but now only 1% of it remains, and much of it is degraded, choked with invasive Rhododendron, its borders nibbled by sheep, young trees overgrazed from within by deer. Aside from supporting a rich and unique assemblage of wildlife and having ecological and environmental effects that ripple far beyond the forest boundaries, they can also be profoundly potent sanctuaries of healing. These habitats are also an important part of our cultural heritage, inspiring myths and folklore, enshrined in the Mabinogion legends and revered by the Druids, and inspiring poets such as William Wordsworth and writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien. In this article for @ecohustler , I consider the value and profound preciousness of our rainforests, the threats that they face, and the steps needed to protect and restore them. This article was inspired by some brief correspondence by one champion and outspoken advocate of the rainforest @merlinhanburytenison of the @thousandyeartrust . A shout out to another tireless champion and campaigner on behalf of this habitat, @guy.shrubsole , and also the brilliant David Satori @rewilding_mycology for the wonderful lichen and fungi snaps 🙂🌍🌳💚

The psychedelic muse. In the second instalment of Fey’s Shadow Salon, our Study of the Unseen moves onto the topic of creativity and how it may be sparked by an altered state of consciousness. Psychedelics have been shown to successfully lead to shifts in modes of thinking and to evoke a range of effects with important implications for creativity. But why are they so successful in evoking inspiration and insight? In this next talk, we will look at notable examples of psychedelic-induced scientific breakthroughs, how this boost in creativity and problem-solving comes about, why this phenomenon could be significant to the future of humanity, and – finally – how might psychedelics be best utilized if seeking to use them as tools for innovation. The talk will be delivered by Dr Sam Gandy @samwisegandy , an ecologist, independent researcher and science communicator on 30th April, 7:30pm GMT. Link in the bio. Organized in collaboration with @thelasttuesdaysociety .

With the release of the recent study on psilocybin-assisted therapy and smoking cessation, Dr. Sam Gandy has taken a deep dive into the state of psychedelics and addiction research. “It is still early days in the application of psychedelics as agents to combat addiction, with research largely still in the preliminary stages. However, given the hugely corrosive impact of substance and behavioural addictions on humanity, and the lack of effective treatments, further research examining the potential of psychedelics is more than justified. Psychedelics remain strictly regulated as Schedule 1 substances across much of the world, with such a designation classifying them as having “a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use”. The scientific research findings highlighting the potential of psychedelics to assist in treating addiction strongly suggest such a classification does not align with the growing evidence base. Moving forward, further research will hopefully shine a light on how psychedelics might be best applied to free people from the heavy chains of addiction.” Full article published in the Chemical Collective linked to in our bio. #psychedelicresearch #addictionresearch #psychedelictherapy #psychedelicscience

When people ingest D-M-T 🌀 they don’t just see visuals. They report encountering intelligent, non-human entities. Among the most consistently described are the Mantis beings. Often perceived as observant and highly intelligent, they appear engaged in forms of examination, sometimes even performing complex operations on the body, or consciousness itself. Experiences of telepathic communication, psychic surgery, and encounters with a distinctly autonomous presence are reported again and again, regardless of culture, belief, or expectation. So the question is: What are these beings? Are they constructed by the mind… or encountered through it? And what is it they’re trying to study… or fix… within us? — Join Professor David Luke @drdluke , Dr Sam Gandy @samwisegandy , Batuhan Bintas @batuhanbintas , and Maya @maya_themessiah this Sunday in the DMT Multiverse, as we delve into mantis entities and the emerging research surrounding these encounters. — We’re exploring this inside the DMT Multiverse — an 8 module live seminar + digital library on DMT and consciousness research, science, and culture. 🌀 MIDCOURSE ENTRY NOW OPEN — final chance to join It’s not too late: • Access all previous sessions (fully recorded) • Catch up at your own pace • Join the remaining 4 weeks of live lectures, discussions, and Q&A And we’re now moving into the core modules: → Mantis Entities with @drdluke & @samwisegandy → Communicating with Entities with @maya_themessiah → DMT Laser Technology with @dannygoler → DMT Extended Infusion Therapy with @eleusismind Join the DMT Multiverse before the portal closes… Comment "WEBİNAR" to get the invitation link

In this article for the @chemycollective , I shed some light on the topic of psychedelics and death anxiety. One inescapable part of life is that we all face death. It is the great leveller. In spite of this, death is a taboo subject in Western society, and our integration of it has actually regressed as medical science has grown in power. However this does not serve us, and facing and diminishing fears around dying can potentially, in turn, diminish fears around living. Across studies, the evidence of the effectiveness of psilocybin in treating existential distress in terminally ill people is arguably among the strongest of any yet obtained in the field of psychedelic research. Such effects appear to be sustained in many cases for years following a single psilocybin experience. Reductions in death anxiety have been proposed to act as a mediator for other beneficial outcomes stemming from psychedelic use, with death anxiety strongly linked to general psychopathology. Such shifts appear to be linked to the mystical experiences that psychedelics can evoke, which may elicit a shift in an experiencer’s perspective on consciousness and how it relates to the brain, with death sometimes viewed more as a transition than an annihilation. However such shifts do not necessarily hinge on such a change in perspective, but may also be underpinned by “impermanence acceptance”. encompassing the capacity to accept change and the transient nature of life. Shifts in perspectives on death have also been reported among healthy people following psychedelic use. However it is important to acknowledge the inherently idiosyncratic and unpredictable effects of psychedelics, with death anxiety being exacerbated by them on occasion. “To civilize death, to bring it home and make it no longer a source of dread, is one of the great challenges of the age. Gradually, dying may come to hold again the place it used to occupy in the midst of life: not a terror, but a mystery so deep that man would no more wish to cheat himself of it than to cheat himself of life.” - The Natural Death Handbook

Wanting to share some river appreciation today on International Day of Action for Rivers, and give thanks to all those people working hard to protect, restore and cleanup rivers the world over. Snaps are from past adventures exploring some stunning rivers in Mexico with my pal @sashfrost . The seeds of agricultural civilisation were sown in river valleys all over the world. In spite of all they provide us, many rivers are in a sorry state due to human impacts, such as our engineering, damming and polluting of them. This very much applies to the UK, with many of our rivers existing in an ecologically degraded state. The recent Channel 4 series “Dirty Business” told the story of the institutional corruption, greed and mismanagement perpetuated by water companies and their supposed regulator, the Environment Agency, which has led to the sorry state of our rivers, being continually choked with sewage, and efforts by some intrepid activists to bring this to wider public awareness and seek justice. England and Wales are unique in having a fully privatised water and sewage system, and this leads to corners being cut and corruption at the expense of the rivers in the pursuit of profits. The frustrating thing is that it really doesn’t have to be this way. Switzerland provides a great example of a country that have cleaned up their act and their rivers, dramatically improving their water quality, with other nations learning from their example. Elsewhere in the world, some truly inspiring examples of large scale river restoration projects highlight what is possible at scale. The Klamath River dam removal project in Southern Oregon and Northern California showcases what can happen when different groups (such as Indigenous groups, environmental groups and corporations) come together for a common aim. Multiple dams were removed and habitat restored and created along the river (with drones deployed to plant seeds), with the dam removal allowing salmon to once again access their spawning grounds in the river headwaters, enriching both river and land.