What psychedelics can teach us about play

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [What psychedelics can teach us about play]( By Rachel Sonis Associate Editor, Ideas Play is one of the most important aspects of being human, but it’s often seen as too frivolous an activity to partake in for busy adults. On the contrary, however, it's actually serious business. Play can expand the ways we see possibility and malleability in the world around us. Psychedelics could play a role in helping us rediscover the long-lost art of play. As sociologist and psychotherapist Ross Ellenhorn explains in a new piece for TIME, they can also facilitate a departure from habitual thoughts and help us adopt a more flexible worldview. Among Ellenhorn's most fascinating points: - Psychedelics make our brains more open to play and often result in mystical experiences—a crucial therapeutic component of these substances. - Play, like psychedelics, can be used as an antidote to isolation and disconnection because it's inherently collaborative and connective. - While psychedelics aren't magic bullets, they promote recognition of the strange and beautiful nuances of life, creating a deeper connection to play. [READ MORE]( Share This Story What Else to Read [Biden Administration Announces $600M to Produce No-Cost COVID Tests]( By Associated Press The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at COVIDTests.gov starting Sept. 25. [Read More »]( [9 Ways to Squeeze in More Steps Every Day]( By Angela Haupt Stop texting the people you live with, and get (or borrow) a dog. [Read More »]( [Ambition Is Out]( By Jamie Ducharme Why some people are renouncing ambition in the workplace—and what they're embracing instead. [Read More »]( [Ticks Carry More Diseases Than Just Lyme. Here’s What You Need to Know]( By Jeffrey Kluger A tick bite can transmit more than 20 diseases. [Read More »]( [Why the Supplement Berberine Is Not ‘Nature’s Ozempic’]( By Haley Weiss The popular supplement berberine may result in some modest weight loss, but it's nothing like Ozempic and other semaglutide drugs. [Read More »]( ONE LAST READ [When you 'only' get 11 hours of sleep]( How much sleep is enough? Most of us would say eight hours are sufficient, but not Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who claims he needs 13 to 14 hours every night to perform at the top of his game. Well rested, indeed. [Read More »]( If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Rachel Sonis and Oliver Staley, and edited by Angela Haupt. [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2023 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.