RORSCHACH TEST
Deepak Chopra on Ketamine, A.I., and Madonna
All clothing and accessories Deepak’s own.
Maybe only Deepak Chopra can change the world. Certainly, the 77-year-old doctor, author, metaphysical guru, and New Age thinker has led more people to paths of meditation, alternative medicine, and higher consciousness than any other figure in the past century. Fans have included Michael Jackson and Madonna, but Chopra is also a man of the people, making his exercises and revelations available online and IRL. To mark the release of his latest tome, Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life, we caught up with Chopra at his downtown Manhattan apartment for some much-needed words of wisdom.
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SLUTTY VEGAN
“Scrumptious. I grew up in a family where meat was part of our everyday diet. I became a vegetarian several decades ago initially to lose weight, but I found it very healthy so I stayed with it. I like to vary my diet to give my microbiome maximum diversity of experience, and I love the variety of vegetarian options in NYC.”
KETAMINE
“Helpful in certain cases for depression, chronic disease, suicidal ideation, and end-of-life care.”
MEDITATION APPS
“Very useful.”
BURNOUT
“Very common in healthcare providers, and it’s a major crisis.”
ASMR
“Very enjoyable, especially in whispering intimately to your beloved.”
MADONNA
“Superstar. Flexible, adaptable, and always current. I met her approximately 25 years ago when she visited the Chopra Center in La Jolla.”
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
“Amazing language model, but also a research assistant. Could be used as a personal friend, a health coach, and maybe even a guru.”
ALIENS
“We are all aliens. Stardust beings. Born in the crucible of burning stars. Visiting Earth at this present time.”
ANTI-AGING TECHNIQUES
“Anti-aging is learning to regulate your breath. Count your life not in the number of years, but in the number of breaths, because aging is the metabolism of time. Time is the consumer, and we are its food. Besides that, there are many other techniques. Good sleep, emotional resilience, vagal activation, adaptogens, signal molecules, and regulating biological rhythms.”
JUNK FOOD
“Will kill you.”
PSEUDOSCIENCE
“I’m one of them.”
PEACE
“Peace is the way. In any conflict, there are many perspectives, and the only way for anyone to feel safe is an authentic peace. Peace starts with us as individuals and we as individuals can take small steps to create peace in our family, in our social and professional ecosystem, in our communities, and ultimately, hope to reach a critical mass of consciousness that moves in the direction of a more peaceful, just, sustainable, happy, and joyful world.”
PSILOCYBIN
“Psilocybin can help you go beyond the fear of death. It can also reduce inflammation, get rid of phobias, and much, much, more. It’s the next revolution.”
HUMANITY
“Humanity needs to wake up, otherwise we’re sleepwalking to extinction.”
IPHONES
“Your window to the ecosystem of anxiety, depression, bullying, and much, much more. I post a social media video every day, I check my email three times a day, and I check my social media feed three times a day.”
ELIZABETH TAYLOR
“An amazing artist. It was a privilege to know her. She was introduced to me by Michael Jackson about 30 years ago when they visited the holistic center I was in charge of in Lancaster, Massachusetts.”
TIKTOK
“Not bad to communicate in short segments, and I use it to create a critical mass for a more peaceful, just, sustainable, healthier, and joyful world.”
DEATH
“Makes life possible.”
DETOX
“Everyone needs it, especially emotional detox.”
SNACKS
“Mostly empty calories.”
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Set Design: Mike Feswick.
Photography Assistants: Karen Goss and Conor Ralph.
