Hi Reader, Welcome to this edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter. 🍄 The Person in the Room Some of the nurses who come to see my mum feel different the moment they walk into the room. They slow down.They give their full attention when they ask a question.They patiently listen to the answer. Others… it’s more of a checklist. Pain?Bowels?Medication?Next.It feels like they're just ticking boxes, getting the job done. Same job. Same tasks.Very different experience. It’s not just what they...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Welcome to this edition of the newsletter. 🍄 Tending The Space Over the last couple of months or so, since my Mum has been homebound, we have been slowly re-shaping her room. A new bed. A different mattress. Tiered bedside tables, to hold everything within reach. Creams, oils, medicines, all with their place on them.A special water bottle that hangs from the bed.Different pillows and cushions for different purposes. Other small things like a phone holder and a new heat bag. The...
16 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, It’s been a little while since I last wrote. I've had other priorities in this period whilst we’ve been figuring out carer schedules, nurse visits, and syringe drivers. Alongside that, I’ve been learning what it actually means to show up for someone day to day. 🍄 Holding Space (At Home) Lately, I’ve been thinking about how life can prepare us in ways we don’t expect. For years, I’ve sat with people in altered states. Holding space, watching breath, listening without trying to fix....
27 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Welcome to this week's edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter. 🍄 When life has other plans Last time I wrote you, I said Session Soundtracks was coming soon. That’s still true. But not as soon as I’d hoped. I've needed to support my mum more recently, as a carer and a son, and meanwhile on what feels like a totally different track, my band played its first gigs on the last two weekends. As well as the practicality of everything involved, I've had an unusual mix of feelings...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Welcome to this week's edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter. 🍄 The album stole the steering wheel Music is one of the most powerful tools in a psychedelic session.In some ways, it's more important than the substance. And yet many people are out there coming up… slightly wobbly… scrolling Spotify with shaky hands. No judgment, I’ve made session music mistakes too. Once, a friend and I queued up Oxygène by the French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre at the start of a...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Happy New Year! Best wishes for 2026 and beyond! Welcome to this week's edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter. 🍄 Books For The Spirit An old friend messaged me recently and asked for my top go-to recommendations for spiritual books. He's not someone I expected to go down that road, but he’s now five months alcohol-free, and open to exploring something deeper. He said he wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for, just something meaningful, not too heavy, and spiritually...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Welcome to this week's edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter. 🍄 Through the Portal Some years fly like lightning. They flash and burn and excite and move us. Others are more like low fog. They quietly roll in and never seem to lift. Some might seem like an uphill struggle, a long sisyphean slog where we don't seem to go anywhere. Maybe this year was big for you.Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it hurt.Maybe it healed. Maybe you're still unsure what it was or what it means for you....
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Welcome to this week's edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter. 🎄 Ghosts, Psychedelics, and the Spirit of the Season It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote. I hope this finds you well. As we move into the heart of the holidays, I wanted to send a quick message with season’s greetings, and a little reflection inspired by the spirit of Christmas… and psychedelics. 👻 Scrooge and the Three Ghosts In Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts....
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Welcome to this week's edition of the Maps of the Mind newsletter. 🍂 On Patience, Family, and Showing Up It’s Thanksgiving in the US today. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers there! Even though I’m not there, I’ve been thinking about family and how funny it is that the people we love the most can be our most difficult relationships. This week, Daniel from Tam Integration shared that old Ram Dass line again: “If you think you’re enlightened, go spend a week with your family.”...
5 months ago • 2 min read