Unraveling the Dream (2026)
In The Doors of Perception (1954), Aldous Huxley wrote that the urge to transcend self-consciousness was "a principle appetite of the soul." He hoped that psychedelics would make the experience of self-transcendence more widely available, and thereby catalyze a transformation in the culture. But experiencing ego dissolution is one thing; integrating it into ordinary life is another. And, as the misadventures of the 1960s attest, building a culture around self-transcendence is a perilous (if inspiring) endeavor. “Unraveling the Dream,” a new film presented by the Waking Up meditation app, explores whether the new science of psychedelics might shed fresh light on Huxley’s vision. Featuring original interviews with Anil Seth, Robin Carhart-Harris, and Shamil Chandaria, the film takes viewers on a sweeping journey to the frontiers of neuroscience and through the rich, turbulent history of psychedelics.
Director: Jake Orthwein
 |
Anil Seth as Himself |
|
Robin Carhart-Harris as Himself |
|
Shamil Chandaria as Himself |
| Directing | Jake Orthwein | Director |
| Writing | Jake Orthwein | Writer |
| Editing | Jake Orthwein | Editor |
| Production | Sam Harris | Executive Producer |
| Production | Jaron Lowenstein | Executive Producer |
| Sound | Joe Basile | Sound Designer |
| Visual Effects | Yuval Haker | Animation |
| Visual Effects | Vincenzo Lodigiani | Animation |
| Editing | Marian Jiménez | Assistant Editor |
| Visual Effects | Alon Sivan | Animation |
