Philosophy and Psychedelics: Frameworks for Exceptional Experience

Description

What do psychedelics reveal about consciousness? What impact have psychedelics had on philosophy? In this rapidly growing area of study, this is the first volume to explore the philosophy of psychedelic experience, from a range of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives. In doing so, Philosophy and Psychedelics reveals just why the place of psychedelics in our societies should not be left to medical sciences alone, as psychedelic experience opens up new perspectives on fundamental philosophical questions relating to human experience, ethics, and the metaphysics of mind. Mapping a range of philosophical responses to the surge in studies into psychedelic drugs in the cognitive sciences, this go-to volume examines topics including psychedelics and the role of governance; psychedelics and mysticism; what psychedelics can tell us about dyadic thankfulness; and psychedelics as ways to gain new knowledge. Written by leading international scholars, the essays cover Western and non-Western traditions, from analytic philosophy to Zen Buddhism, and discuss a variety of hallucinogens, such as LSD, MDMA, and Ayahuasca, in order to build a much-needed bridge between the rapidly growing scientific research and the philosophy behind psychedelic experience.

Peter Sjoestedt Hughes is Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Exeter, UK. Christine Hauskeller is Professor of Moral and Political Philosophy at the University of Exeter, UK.

Philosophy and Psychedelics is a fabulous book - it's psychedelicious - a rich thoughtful collection which exceeds the samples I've considered here. It should be read slowly and sporadically rather than gorged, to avoid indigestion and prolong the pleasure. * Psychiatrie en Filosofie * This impressive multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collection surveys the impacts of psychedelic research on philosophy, science and culture. Examinations of standard philosophical problems in light of psychedelic experience are complemented by studies of broader cultural and cross-cultural significance of psychedelia. Its inclusion of non-Western perspectives on psychedelics sets an important example. * Farzad Mahootian, Clinical Associate Prof., Global Liberal Studies, New York University, USA * Sacred plants and substances propitiate knowledge based on direct experience. Like a strong wind on fallen leaves, they disturbed previous orders, raise questions, propose new hypothesis, induce wondering at many levels. The authors of this timely book make an important contribution to a conversation that cannot be ignored any longer, one that has its deeper roots in the ancestral traditions of all continents, and which seems especially urgent in these times of extremes and uncertainty. * Luis Eduardo Luna, Director of the Wasiwaska Research Center, Brazil *