I have a Sony tv with Android, and I disabled or uninstalled anything google I could find. Still works perfectly. (Disclosure, I’m probably in HN’s bottom 5th percentile in tech skills)
I once spoke to a commodities trader who (half-jokingly) explained his job as: predicting the market in the morning, then letting his clients bet and make this happen during the day. Repeat.
My coworker uses OneDrive on win10, which is a total train wreck in terms of reliability and usability. Interestingly, it runs like a charm for me... on my Mac.
I don't have an open mind about sacredness or God being scientific concepts. That doesn't mean I'm closed-minded, as psychonauts like to imply. I'm just wary about scientists veering into this mystical, religious, shamanistic stance.
I think the misunderstanding is based on the use of words that are already 'loaded' with meaning, as sago pointed out quite well in another comment.
The point is that those experiences are real and have always been a part of the human condition. There is nothing supernatural about this, nothing bending the realms of physics.
It's all about psychology and how things 'feel', how consciousness works and how it goes beyond the single individual in a group setting.
All that mystical language imho is due to a lack of better words.
If you consider it in terms of medicine. I would be afraid of performing any kind of surgery on myself, but I would be less afraid and ultimately trusting if a doctor did the same thing. If surgery is the wrong metaphor, how about theraphy or other forms of psychotherapy, mind change, anxiety reduction etc.
In other words, don't try it. The fear of insanity is probably a good fear if people think of doing it just for fun. But if the day comes when a doctor takes you in a trip, your fear will be less, and the doctor will know how to supervise you.
The key idea of this article is that research into psychedelics should be allowed and encouraged. Timothy Leary never advocated for people to try them for fun. Don't think of psychedelics as recreational things to try but as powerful medicine which needs trained professionals to administer.
I think this could work, outdoors but also when travelling with a small group avoiding huge roaming charges. Battery life should be ok, I don't think it's designed for chatting away just basic communication.
