Sam Gandy

PhD ecologist, independent researcher, science communicator. Biophile & wondernaut. Research collaborator with @Imperial_PRG & @onaya_io.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

Have you encountered a praying mantis entity in an altered state of consciousness (or any state of consciousness)? This anonymous survey seeks to shed light on elements of the encounter experiences and their interpretation and impact.

https://t.co/BzOmJEhoJ7

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

In this article for @chemcollective1, I take a deep dive into the topic of natural settings for psychedelic experiences, attempting to make the case that combining the two has the potential to yield a broad range of benefits.

https://t.co/pFmh7Abnj6

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@bro_abra Can't say I've encountered many reports of cobras in particular, or at any greater frequency than mantids across different altered states. Snakes in general crop up a fair bit though.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

Have you encountered a praying mantis entity in an altered state of consciousness (or any state of consciousness)? This anonymous survey seeks to shed light on elements of the encounter experiences and their interpretation and impact.

https://t.co/BzOmJEhoJ7

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@MadParticipant That is definitely the intention, yes. I will prioritise open-access publication if I can to ensure the findings are in the public domain.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@MadParticipant Yes it is.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@kotalco @alieninsect Thanks, yes I'm aware, one of the people behind it has been really helpful with disseminating the survey, which I've shared on there (its existence is partly what inspired the study in the first place).

https://t.co/KbN40ad4l8

[The Last Tuesday Society & Viktor Wynd Museum @TheLastTuesdayS]

Tonight's Lecture --Psychedelics as Catalysts of Creativity - Sam Gandy - Zoom

#Psychedelics #Catalysts #Creativity #SamGandy @TheLastTuesdayS @SamwiseGandy

https://t.co/N47bEJgVum

[Rosie P 🦇 🦎 🕷️ 🦭 🐌 🍃🌳🚲💧 @RosieP4]

I fail to understand why anyone ever calls for verges to be mown in the spring or how councils can allow it.
How is THIS messy or unkempt? It is utterly beautiful, an incredible and a very much needed wildlife habitat.

[Paul Brown @0xQuasark]

A 2021 study found that people who had taken psychedelics reported a 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 in their connection to nature.

Not just during the experience.
𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.

This effect was stronger than any other measured correlate of well-being.

Stronger than:

meditation,
therapy, or
exercise.

The word researchers used was:
"𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴."

Basically, the plants want you to come back.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

In this article for @Ecohustler, I shed light on the value and profound preciousness of our native temperate or Celtic rainforests, their potent healing potential, the threats that they face, and the steps needed to protect and restore them.

https://t.co/O3wvIrbJxL

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

Article providing a deep dive on the bolete mushroom Lanmaoa asiatica, which has recently gone viral, due to to its apparent capacity to elicit lilliputian hallucinations on occasion following its consumption by different cultures in East Asia.

https://t.co/Iug7QB7mG9

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

Can psychedelics help mend broken and ailing brains? An article examining the evidence for the use of psychedelics to treat brain injury such as strokes, TBI and neurodegenerative diseases, which inflict a vast toll, and lack effective treatments.

https://t.co/DmrDD5H2K5

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

A new article for @Ecohustler where I attempt to answer the following question: Why is the reintroduction of a native keystone species (the beaver) not permitted in England, but millions of non-native birds (pheasants) can be released with impunity?

https://t.co/GySPJk5LoP

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@aNorthernGarden @BenGoldsmith @Ecohustler Life obviously continued following the loss of beavers from our landscapes, but this doesn't mean it didn't do so in an ecologically depleted and degraded state. Aquatic ecosystems here co-evolved with this creature, and they create richer wetland environments than humans can.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@aNorthernGarden @BenGoldsmith @Ecohustler It isn't gobbledegook, but pertains to various essential benefits provided directly & indirectly by nature, not hard to understand. Regarding beavers, this encompasses filtering water, recharging aquifers, flood & drought mitigation, habitat creation, carbon sequestration, etc.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@aNorthernGarden @BenGoldsmith @Ecohustler You either wrap the base of the trees in wire, or paint them with a latex-sand paint.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@aNorthernGarden @BenGoldsmith @Ecohustler Trees are easily beaver-proofed. The overall benefits of beavers in terms of ecosystem service provision they provide far exceeds the relatively meagre costs of their management. Other parts of Europe have managed this without civilisational collapse, why can't we?

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@aNorthernGarden @BenGoldsmith @Ecohustler Beavers and their impacts such as flooding can be managed and mitigated, as is already been done elsewhere such as Bavaria and Switzerland. It is possible to live alongside beavers, and the many ecological benefits they provide should also be considered.

https://t.co/oyS4qRLnw9

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@aNorthernGarden @BenGoldsmith @Ecohustler Very few pheasants shot end up on anyone's dinner plate, shooting is a hugely wasteful practice. Beaver eco-engineering also sequesters carbon. There are alternative less ecologically destructive means of generating income from the countryside than pheasant shooting.

[Sam Gandy @SamwiseGandy]

@seatradelaw @BenGoldsmith @Ecohustler Only a small amount of pheasants ever make it onto anyone's dinner plate. Shooting them is only "fun" to a certain small minority. Your classification of them being "perfectly legitimate" is a meaningless statement that ignores the ecological cost their presence incurs.