Psychedelics & the Future of Aging: Embracing the Inevitable
Welcome to the Psychedelic Blog. I write about the Impact of Psychedelics on Grieving, Relationships, Culture & Death. This week, I’m diving into the future of aging. As humans stand on the brink of living longer—and potentially better—than ever before, let’s explore how Psychedelics can play a transformative role in shaping this new era.
"Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born." – Albert Einstein
The Evolving Definition of Being ‘42’
I turned 42 this week, and I’ve been reflecting on how much this age has changed in meaning over my lifetime. It used to carry terms like ‘over the hill.’ It meant we were on the decline, on a not-so-fast train towards old age.
But fast forward to today, and 42 has a markedly different texture. I am stronger than I ever was at any point in my life. I compete in CrossFit, and I am joined by people my age, and often older, doing incredible things with their bodies—things that would have been inconceivable just a generation ago.
This shift goes beyond personal experience. It reflects a larger societal evolution in how we think about aging. Fast forward another few decades, and imagine what 42 will represent. AI, new technologies, the decentralization of information, and one man’s quest to achieve immortality are reshaping our future. Living healthily is back en vogue. The body is no longer a black box. Immortality, once the stuff of myth, is becoming a real avenue of scientific exploration.
The long-term implications are profound: a healthier society where people live not just longer, but potentially better. Yet, as we extend our time here, we must also elevate our consciousness. This is where the transformative power of Psychedelics enters the conversation.
Let’s explore why this shift is happening, why it matters, and how Psychedelics are shaping a new era of health, vitality, and consciousness.
The Changing Media Landscape
When I was a kid growing up in the 80s & 90s, the media landscape was simple & centralized. There were a handful of TV channels, CNN & Fox News for cable news, a selection of magazines, and the daily newspaper. News stories were heavily influenced, if not outright dictated, by advertising dollars. This is why my generation grew up believing that whole milk was essential for strong bones, sugar was a key pillar of the food pyramid, and that sacrificing sleep was a badge of honor.
Fast forward to today. The rise of podcasts, blogs, and other decentralized media has radically transformed how we consume information. Podcasts like the Huberman Lab draw tens of millions of listeners, with episodes that dive deep into the science of optimizing life. Two scientists sit down for three hours and dissect how that one cup of coffee you had at 2 p.m. is sabotaging your ideal sleep cycles, and this content garners millions of views. In the same space, countless other podcasts dedicated to fitness, biohacking, and wellness dominate the conversation.
The days when Big Sugar could flood the airwaves with commercials claiming Coca-Cola was the refreshing drink we need are long gone. That narrative doesn't stand a chance when, the very next day, a three-hour podcast meticulously unpacks how sugar fuels heart disease and accelerates early death. The democratization of information has created a counterbalance to corporate spin, empowering individuals to make more informed choices about their health & well-being.
This shift has not only disrupted traditional advertising but also forced us to reevaluate the messages we were spoon-fed for decades. It’s no longer just about what’s being said; it’s about who is saying it, how they’re saying it, and whether it’s backed by credible science or ulterior motives. This new media ecosystem has its flaws, but it’s undeniably reshaping how we think, live, and thrive.
AI & New Technology
As an investor in this groundbreaking company, John Doe eagerly checked out the latest machinery—a DEXA body scan, but reimagined. Backed by AI, it offered a comprehensive, real-time look at the entire human body. This wasn’t just about measuring bone density & body composition. It was a full-spectrum analysis of every organ, artery, and system—a level of insight once thought impossible.
John’s excitement quickly turned to fear. The good news? His investment was delivering on its promise. The bad news? The scan detected a hidden aneurysm in his brain—a silent, ticking time bomb that could have taken his life at any moment. He was rushed into emergency surgery, where physicians saved his life, adding decades to his future.
Stories like John’s will soon become commonplace. The idea that fatal conditions like aneurysms, heart disease, or cancer could go undetected until it was too late will soon seem barbaric. Future generations will look back in disbelief at how their parents & grandparents relied on diagnostic tools that were imprecise, reactive, and often ineffective.
For all of human history, the body has been a black box, full of mysteries & hidden risks. Diagnostic protocols relied on snapshots—scans, X-rays, and tests that, while useful, often left too much to chance. But we’re on the brink of a new era where technology doesn’t just treat symptoms; it prevents disasters.
AI-powered diagnostic tools will transform healthcare. Conditions that once silently claimed lives—aneurysms, heart attacks, or undiagnosed cancers—will be identified and addressed before they are deadly. The result will be a profound shift in how long and how well we live.
Don’t Die
Bryan Johnson is trying to live forever. His documentary, detailing his movement Don’t Die on Netflix, was in the top ten for weeks. With millions of followers on social media and frequent appearances on top podcasts, Bryan has become a polarizing figure. A successful tech entrepreneur, he is spending millions of dollars of his own money to prolong life.
Bryan is on the receiving end of a lot of hate & vitriol. I think this says more about people than it does about Bryan. As someone who has also sought out unconventional modalities of healing and tends to dance to the beat of his own drum, I have empathy for Bryan. I’m no stranger to comments like, “Nothing wrong with whiskey” or “People don’t need drugs” (profound, I know)—so I can relate to someone who sees the world differently and goes all in on their convictions. More importantly, I think what Bryan represents is far more significant than him as an individual. I don’t care how anyone decides to live their life, so long as they aren’t hurting others.
Don’t Die represents a continuation of humanity’s evolutionary desire to survive—only now, with the backing of modern technology. While it’s obvious humans will never achieve immortality (all of Bryan’s efforts would be rendered obsolete if the plane he’s on crashes), ammortality—extending the human lifespan indefinitely while remaining free from disease—is a fascinating concept to consider. I don’t dare to speak with confidence about the likelihood of such a future, and Bryan is not without critics. One notable counterpoint comes from Dr. Paul Saladino, who argues that Bryan's plant-based diet is counterproductive to longevity, asserting that humans require meat to achieve long, healthy lives.
What we can reasonably assume, however, is that Bryan’s efforts—and those of others following similar paths—will likely result in elongating the human lifespan. This has profound implications for humanity: it could transform how we approach career choices (living longer might mean pursuing professions that can sustain such a lifestyle), redefine timelines for marriage & having children, and even influence where and how we live. Perhaps, in a world where time feels less finite, we all become nomads—spending a decade in Basel, then another in Kuala Lumpur.
In the end, whether you find Bryan’s quest inspiring, bizarre, or somewhere in between, it forces us to reflect on how we think about time, mortality, and the choices we make. Perhaps the more important takeaway is not whether we should live forever but how we might live better with the time we have. In his radical pursuit of life, Bryan reminds us to confront a timeless question: what does it mean to truly live? To answer that question, we turn to Psychedelics.
Enter Psychedelics
As I explored in this article, there is nobility in dying. As the philosopher Alan Watts described, once we cease to see the magic in the world anymore, we die. Then something else comes to birth and gets an entirely new view. This circle of life has likely been explored since humans developed the ability to tell stories.
Instead of framing the conversation around the moral necessity of death, perhaps a better lens is why we stop seeing magic in the world in the first place. I am reminded of a scene in the romantic comedy Four Christmases. The couple (played by Vince Vaughn & Reese Witherspoon) has sworn off having children, choosing instead to live a life of freedom & frequent vacations. But as they pack for one of their many trips, Witherspoon’s character pauses and asks, “Haven’t we taken this trip before?” It’s a subtle yet poignant foreshadowing—a reminder that novelty fades, even in the most exciting of lives.
I think back to being 20 years old, on a train to Newark Airport, preparing to cross the Atlantic and visit Europe for the first time. The rush of euphoria I felt, the sheer magic of stepping into the unknown, remains one of the most memorable moments of my life. I’ve traveled many times since, but I’ve never recaptured that exact feeling. How could I? The magic of a “first” is its own kind of perfection, unrepeatable yet eternal in its significance.
And this is where Psychedelics come in. These substances have the unique ability to crack open our rigid patterns of perception & reignite the sense of awe we so easily lose as we age. They remind us that magic isn’t found in endless novelty or eternal life but in how we experience the world around us. Living forever isn’t the goal—it never has been.
The goal is to live deeply, to keep finding the magic in the ordinary, and to maintain a sense of wonder even in the familiar. Psychedelics, in their capacity to reset and reorient the mind, are the key to rediscovering the richness of life. In a future where AI promises endless optimization & biotechnology dangles the dream of immortality, perhaps the greatest gift is the reminder that the essence of life isn’t its duration but its depth.
Psychedelics, with their ability to show us the infinite in a single moment, teach us that life’s true measure lies not in how long we live, but in how vividly we embrace the time we have.
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It is not important to Live......
but rather, to know how to Live a better Life, and each one of us have to find the best way.
Easily said than done, nevertheless totally possible.
We NEED to get to know.....ourselves.
Great blog! Thanks.