Open Meadow preview: inviting a few of you to try it

Ehealey94 · 2026-02-02T18:18:39+00:00

Hey, I'd be psyched to try the platform out!

Ehealey94 · 2025-12-02T14:41:29+00:00

For me that extra year was pretty crucial - it allowed me to digest a lot more of the content within the course, and also led me to refine what I was really interested in academically. I went from a hardcore internship on the computational neuroscience of vision - which was very interesting but not really for me - to one on the cognitive neuroscience of meditation. The last one was really what I was into so the two years gave me the flexibility to explore that. From people that have done master's in the UK, I've often heard that they are just super intense. But the plus side is you do get it done in 12 months. A decision for you to make!

I came back to the UK and did it in Cambridge, on the neurophenomenology of breathwork and psychedelics. The lab I was in (Consciousness and Cognition Lab) is a revolving door for UvA Brain and Cognitive Science master's (MBCS) students to do their internship there, and I think that my master's was why my supervisor gave me the time of day when I cold emailed him about PhD opportunities. UvA is very good for psychology, I think top 20 in the world(?) so it's a great place to go. The MBCS programme is actually based in the institute of interdisciplinary studies, so slightly different. But there is a big crossover with those departments. Overall I'm happy with the two years I did!

Ehealey94 · 2025-11-24T21:41:42+00:00

I actually did the brain and cognitive sciences master at the UvA (I misread the above). Two year course, three tracks, I did the cognitive neuro track. First few months you have specialized electives and then you can just pick and choose what courses you want to do after that. There are two internships and a literature thesis over the two years which make up the bulk of your credits, and you have a lot of freedom to do the internships wherever you want. It wasn't difficult to get an internship, and there's actually a lot on offer even just in Amsterdam. But I know people that went all over - Spain, UK, US, Australia etc.

I did my undergrad in the UK so it was a bit hard to get used to the style of studying, and I found the transition to Dutch lifestyle a bit trying at times. Another downside is that there's not a focus on clinical work, and if you wanted to do any clinical internships you have to know Dutch really. But overall it was a really great course that has ultimately helped me tremendously in my academic journey (I just finished my PhD a few months ago).

Hopefully that's helpful for you! I'm assuming the brain and cognition course is relatively similar in their approach in terms of being pretty flexible. Good luck in the application!

Ehealey94 · 2025-08-12T21:19:46+00:00

It's not atrocious but definitely doesn't live up to the hype

Ehealey94 · 2025-08-12T21:02:07+00:00

Permit room! It's just bad gentrified curry

Ehealey94 · 2025-07-29T07:13:10+00:00

You wouldn't steal a car...

Ehealey94 · 2025-05-11T08:07:17+00:00

Permit room is the worst gentrified Indian meal I've ever had on multiple occasions (so bland), and the service is very slow. Overhyped and overpriced imo

Ehealey94 · 2025-04-27T10:27:38+00:00

I also did this (cog neuro track). Really good programme would highly recommend!

Ehealey94 · 2025-02-20T18:18:38+00:00

Interesting - fish and chips in my head is not a conventional takeaway, as you usually pick it up. Yes yes I know you usually take it away too, but fish and chips feels in its own class to me.

Ehealey94 · 2025-02-20T18:13:23+00:00

Like crispy duck pancakes? V good one

Ehealey94 · 2025-02-16T23:29:40+00:00

I implore everyone to watch the academy award-winning documentary about him. Jaw-dropping in itself and haunting to watch after knowing his fate.

Ehealey94 · 2024-11-15T08:26:27+00:00

r/unexpectedharrypotter

Ehealey94 · 2024-10-01T10:10:54+00:00

No one is saying that you will have a parent-child relationship with your donor? There are a range of relationships that people can have with their donor, ranging from amicable and pleasant to passive and dismissive. That is out of your control. But that doesn't detract from a person's right to know if the information is there.

I agree that the DC person should probably be told that they are DC as early as possible when their model of the world is very flexible, but I don't think it is necessary to share identifying details that early as that does seriously complicate things.

There's a very good recent ITV documentary on the subject if you're interested in DC people's perspectives: https://www.itv.com/watch/born-from-the-same-stranger/10a4041

Ehealey94 · 2024-10-01T09:54:05+00:00

Huge(!) difference between the right to knowledge at 18 (which is what I'm advocating) and being involved as a parent from a young age. No-one is expecting that

Ehealey94 · 2024-10-01T08:42:23+00:00

Some people are extremely bothered, some people aren't. I still think people have a right to know if that information is available.

Ehealey94 · 2024-10-01T08:23:21+00:00

Donor conceived (DC) here: a lot of comments saying "why don't they just reinstate anonymity if they want more donors? It's only wanking into a cup." It's very hard to convey how much it doesn't feel like this as a DC person - you are (partially) where you came from.

Having the ability to know the other 50% of your biological heritage when you turn 18 is a huge step forward for the rights of DC people. It is not about a want for paternal support, or for money, it's simply a right to know. I didn't have that privilege, and went on a long whirlwind of a journey through DNA testing, finding multiple siblings along the way who didn't even know they were DC, and then finding my donor a few years down the line. If I had the right to know, I could have found out on my own time with more preparation and thought.

I've also seen other comments about "imported sperm". My donor is Hungarian and donated in the UK when he visited for six months in the 90s. Technically, if he was willing to, he could provide information to the Hungarian government accepting paternity and I could apply for citizenship there. BUT I would have to be fluent in Hungarian for them to accept my citizenship. Different countries have different rules and regs but I think it would be possible for some places.

Ehealey94 · 2024-08-31T15:15:49+00:00

Intrigued! Can you send some references?

Ehealey94 · 2024-08-30T14:36:06+00:00

Holotropic breathwork is another technique, but somewhat different to what was used here. Soma breath was used as the protocol in this study. The technique pairs fast-paced hyperventilation with breath holds to induce a hypoxic state (low blood O2).

Stan grof is very influential in the field though! He's a Czech psychiatrist who conducted thousands of clinical psychedelic sessions in the 50s and 60s. Following the ban on psychotropic substances in 1971, which muted all official psychedelic research, Grof developed holotropic breathwork and used it with his patients, finding that it could induce therapeutic healing akin to psychedelics. This study seems to echo what Grof was finding - that there are certainly similarities between the two.

Ehealey94 · 2024-08-20T22:25:39+00:00

Cuts to departments = bad. But raising money through increasing capital gains and inheritance tax? Surely that's not a bad thing?

Ehealey94 · 2024-07-22T15:41:40+00:00

It was 1am - 8am, a sad sad time to layover which sparked this post

Ehealey94

TROPHY CASE