psychedelics Counterculture icon and psychedelic pioneer Ram Dass, RIP David Pescovitz

drugs The time Paul McCartney "saw God" David Pescovitz

video Beautiful short film explores the spirit of Varanasi Andrea James

religion Meet the robot Buddhist monk David Pescovitz

religion Are you a spiritual leader? Take shrooms for science David Pescovitz

Science Native American Church members fight harassment by authorities Oklevueha Native American Church

books Some of our favorite monsters from “Compendium Of Demonology and Magic” (ca. 1775) Xeni Jardin

kung fu The kung fu nuns of Kathmandu Andrea James

Science Today (Thursday): Sasha Sagan and Ann Druyan in conversation with David Pescovitz David Pescovitz

books Boing Boing's 28 favorite books in 2019 Rob Beschizza

mining A deep dive into the bloody mines of the Healing Crystal industry Thom Dunn

science fiction Beautiful boxed set of two Octavia Butler novels Mark Frauenfelder

books Out today: a two-volume, slipcased edition of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, introduced by Gloria Steinem and Toshi Reagon Cory Doctorow

not food The real meaning of plantation tours: American Downton Abbey vs American Horror Story Cory Doctorow

book reviews The Miracle Club: How Thoughts Become Reality Ferdinando Buscema

pirates Woman who divorced ghost warns against dabbling in spirituality Jason Weisberger

music New anthology of Michele Mercure's 80s synth music from the cassette underground David Pescovitz

music Enigma released the second part of Sadeness Rob Beschizza