Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain function

ABSTRACT Trepanation has been performed by people interested in enhancing mental power and well-being since the early 1960s. The pioneers and main proponents of the procedure are described here. The phenomenon appeared in Europe after a Dutch former medical student published a psychoactive drug-frie...

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Main Author: Charles André
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações
Series:Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2017000500307&lng=en&tlng=en
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author Charles André
author_facet Charles André
author_sort Charles André
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Trepanation has been performed by people interested in enhancing mental power and well-being since the early 1960s. The pioneers and main proponents of the procedure are described here. The phenomenon appeared in Europe after a Dutch former medical student published a psychoactive drug-friendly scroll suggesting trepanation as a form of permanently increasing cerebral blood volume and function. He trepanned himself in 1965. Three of his friends became enthusiasts. They also submitted themselves to the procedure and published films and books describing their experiences. Two of them coauthored papers, in collaboration with Russian researchers, and created institutions to promote discussion on trepanation. One of these institutions organized trips to Central and South America to get the operation done. Dozens of people nowadays look for trepanation as a method of spiritualization and increasing well-being and mental power. The phenomenon has an uncertain future, however, as the main proponents and supporters are aging.
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spelling doaj-art-a94e7ec7df2d429c8291ebe90b8011ce2025-08-20T03:18:50ZengThieme Revinter PublicaçõesArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria1678-422775530731310.1590/0004-282x20170040S0004-282X2017000500307Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain functionCharles AndréABSTRACT Trepanation has been performed by people interested in enhancing mental power and well-being since the early 1960s. The pioneers and main proponents of the procedure are described here. The phenomenon appeared in Europe after a Dutch former medical student published a psychoactive drug-friendly scroll suggesting trepanation as a form of permanently increasing cerebral blood volume and function. He trepanned himself in 1965. Three of his friends became enthusiasts. They also submitted themselves to the procedure and published films and books describing their experiences. Two of them coauthored papers, in collaboration with Russian researchers, and created institutions to promote discussion on trepanation. One of these institutions organized trips to Central and South America to get the operation done. Dozens of people nowadays look for trepanation as a method of spiritualization and increasing well-being and mental power. The phenomenon has an uncertain future, however, as the main proponents and supporters are aging.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2017000500307&lng=en&tlng=entrepanaçãopsicotrópicoscomportamento autodestrutivoantropologia cultural
spellingShingle Charles André
Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain function
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
trepanação
psicotrópicos
comportamento autodestrutivo
antropologia cultural
title Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain function
title_full Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain function
title_fullStr Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain function
title_full_unstemmed Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain function
title_short Evolving story: trepanation and self-trepanation to enhance brain function
title_sort evolving story trepanation and self trepanation to enhance brain function
topic trepanação
psicotrópicos
comportamento autodestrutivo
antropologia cultural
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2017000500307&lng=en&tlng=en
work_keys_str_mv AT charlesandre evolvingstorytrepanationandselftrepanationtoenhancebrainfunction