About the film
In The Doors of Perception (1954), Aldous Huxley wrote that the urge to transcend self-consciousness was "a principle appetite of the soul." He hoped that psychedelics would make the experience of self-transcendence more widely available, and thereby catalyze a transformation in the culture.
But experiencing ego dissolution is one thing; integrating it into ordinary life is another. And, as the misadventures of the 1960s attest, building a culture around self-transcendence is a perilous (if inspiring) endeavor.
“Unraveling the Dream,” a new film presented by the Waking Up meditation app, explores whether the new science of psychedelics might shed fresh light on Huxley’s vision. Featuring original interviews with Anil Seth, Robin Carhart-Harris, and Shamil Chandaria, the film takes viewers on a sweeping journey to the frontiers of neuroscience and through the rich, turbulent history of psychedelics.
Along the way, the film explores questions like:
- What can neuroscience tell us about how the mind constructs our sense of self and world?
- What, if any, are the political implications of the psychedelic experience?
- What is the difference between destroying the ego and truly transcending it?
- How can meditation help one sustain the freedom of the psychedelic experience in the midst of ordinary life?
About the director
Jake Orthwein is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s the creator of Frame Problems, a video essay channel on YouTube, and is also a long-term meditator. He can be found on X @JakeOrthwein.
