The Thinking Mind Podcast
E176 | LSD, Narcissism & the Science of the Self (w/ Dr. Anjali Bhat)
Published: 29 May 2026 at 00:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Dr Anjali Bhat is a neuroscientist, therapist and writer. Today we discuss the science of the self, the future of therapy, and what altered states of consciousness can teach us about the mind. Anjali explains her work in psychedelics research, including an upcoming study that involves giving people high doses of LSD in a high-resolution brain scanner.
We also talk about the promises and limitations of psychedelic-assisted therapy, ADHD, productivity culture, burnout, and why slowing down can be psychologically transformative. We also discuss what makes therapy effective, why the therapeutic relationship matters so much, the risks of AI therapy, and how to think more clearly about narcissism.
You can find out more about Anjali's work here: https://www.anjalibhat.org/
Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training. Website: alexcurmitherapy.com
Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://thinkingmindblog.substack.com/
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Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - [email protected] with "Coaching" in the subject line.
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