Let’s workshop this poem about the all-too-human inclination to leap toward mystical explanations, bypassing more grounded ones, to account for the commonality of LSD experiences.
The poem "Wishful Cortical Core" explores the human tendency to seek mystical explanations for shared mental experiences, despite their grounding in biology and media influences. By referencing "lysergic visions," the poem invokes psychedelic imagery and the influence of substances like LSD, suggesting how altered states of consciousness often lead individuals to embrace fantastical interpretations of reality. The phrase "media-coached like flying-saucer UFOs" highlights how popular culture and mass media shape these visions, subtly directing people toward specific cultural icons or experiences, such as UFO sightings, which became widespread only after media popularized them. The reference to Janis Joplin and paisley patterns alludes to the 1960s counterculture, where drugs and music intertwined to fuel a collective yet chemically influenced search for meaning.
The poem then pivots from this media-driven imagery to emphasize the biological similarity between human brains, describing them as "star-stuff riffs on a neurochemical theme." Here, the poet reminds us that much of what we experience, including mystical visions, can be traced back to the brain’s common structure and chemical processes. The shared nature of these experiences, rather than pointing to supernatural or "woo-woo" realms like astral planes, is rooted in the neurochemistry all humans share. The poet asks why people tend to leap toward metaphysical or supernatural explanations when such commonality is easily accounted for by our shared biology.
In essence, the poem critiques the human inclination to romanticize or mystify shared experiences that can be scientifically explained. It challenges the notion that collective psychedelic or spiritual experiences imply access to otherworldly planes, suggesting instead that these experiences are products of our biological makeup and cultural conditioning. The poem provokes readers to reflect on why we often prefer fantastical explanations over grounded scientific ones, even when the latter are sufficient to explain the phenomena.
psychedelic experiences, shared consciousness, media influence, brain chemistry, biological commonality, supernatural explanations, mystical interpretations, neurochemistry, cultural conditioning, altered states
The poem "Wishful Cortical Core" explores the human tendency to seek mystical explanations for shared mental experiences, despite their grounding in biology and media influences. By referencing "lysergic visions," the poem invokes psychedelic imagery and the influence of substances like LSD, suggesting how altered states of consciousness often lead individuals to embrace fantastical interpretations of reality. The phrase "media-coached like flying-saucer UFOs" highlights how popular culture and mass media shape these visions, subtly directing people toward specific cultural icons or experiences, such as UFO sightings, which became widespread only after media popularized them. The reference to Janis Joplin and paisley patterns alludes to the 1960s counterculture, where drugs and music intertwined to fuel a collective yet chemically influenced search for meaning.
The poem then pivots from this media-driven imagery to emphasize the biological similarity between human brains, describing them as "star-stuff riffs on a neurochemical theme." Here, the poet reminds us that much of what we experience, including mystical visions, can be traced back to the brain’s common structure and chemical processes. The shared nature of these experiences, rather than pointing to supernatural or "woo-woo" realms like astral planes, is rooted in the neurochemistry all humans share. The poet asks why people tend to leap toward metaphysical or supernatural explanations when such commonality is easily accounted for by our shared biology.
In essence, the poem critiques the human inclination to romanticize or mystify shared experiences that can be scientifically explained. It challenges the notion that collective psychedelic or spiritual experiences imply access to otherworldly planes, suggesting instead that these experiences are products of our biological makeup and cultural conditioning. The poem provokes readers to reflect on why we often prefer fantastical explanations over grounded scientific ones, even when the latter are sufficient to explain the phenomena.
psychedelic experiences, shared consciousness, media influence, brain chemistry, biological commonality, supernatural explanations, mystical interpretations, neurochemistry, cultural conditioning, altered states