Good Reads: Psychedelics' Role at Nova Festival & Rage Room Relaxation
Ever thought about how the ravers on drugs experienced the horrific attack at Nova festival? Then I have a good read for you …
Hey everyone,
I'm writing to you from sunny, but super cold Berlin. Summer seems to have skipped us, leaving autumn knocking at our door. At least it feels that way. On the plus side: What better way to spend your time than catching up on some compelling reads – and I have two interesting pieces for you: One is an eye-opening piece on psychedelic experiences during the horrific Hamas attack on Nova Festival, and another on smashing a room to bits and calling it wellness. And oh, I'm dipping my toes back into some new ventures - more on that inside.
Have a good read,
Katie
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The Role of Psychedelics in Navigating the Nova Festival Nightmare
Some may dance with elephants on rainbows, while others find divine connections in nature; yet others endure nightmarish trips. The type of experience you have when taking psychedelic drugs depends on the substance itself and, of course, the environment.
It's almost impossible to imagine what the ravers at Israel's Nova festival were experiencing when the deadly and horrific Hamas attack took place. As is common at electronic music festivals, many attendees were under the influence of psychedelics such as MDMA, LSD and ketamine.
Last week, the New York Times published a compelling article about Israeli researchers who began interviewing survivors who were under the influence of mind-altering substances during the attack.
“One Israeli said that being high on LSD during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 had prompted a spiritual revelation that helped him escape the carnage at a desert rave. Another was certain the drug MDMA had made him more decisive and given him the strength to carry his girlfriend as they fled the scene. A third said that experiencing the assault during a psychedelic trip had helped him more fully process the trauma.”
A highly recommended read on the rare opportunity researchers have to study the intersection of trauma and psychedelics.
🗞️ Here is the article
Forget Mindfulness, Just Smash the Room into Pieces
There are days when the Underground here in Berlin is so crowded that I feel like a sardine in a can. And on top of all the different odours a human being can produce, there is always someone starts eating a döner, the Berlin-Turkish version of a kebab.
This is the moment I need a room like that, I thought as I read an article about rage rooms in Britain where women vent their anger by simply smashing a room to pieces. Imagine taking that sledgehammer and letting it all out. Uh yeah.
🗞️ Here is the article
🤳 Personal Update: I'm Back on Instagram
People who know me personally will probably say “Whaaat??” because I'm always talking about the risks of social media, the potential for addiction, etc. There were many good reasons why I gave up my personal account two years ago. My mental health, for example ;)
But there's also another side to it, especially when it comes to the topics I write about. These platforms are an easy way to connect with people and experts on certain topics.
So, to cut a long story short, I'm back on Instagram. What can you expect? Promoting my newsletter articles, yes, that's obvious. But I'll also me trying my best to post and repost interesting mind-body-related stuff – and let's face it, there will be a lot of gifs and memes. After all, that's what the internet was invented for.
Follow me here: @BodilyHappy
Cheers,
Katie