Back to browse
80% Critic Match
Unraveling the Dream
“Psychedelics, Awakening, and the Brain”
8.0 / 10• 2026• 1h 0m•PG• English
Documentary
Storyline
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.
Cast & Crew
AS
Anil Seth
Himself
LeadRC
Robin Carhart-Harris
Himself
SC
Shamil Chandaria
Himself
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Jake Orthwein's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Unraveling the Dream is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
