The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter with Death
Harvard Theological Review – January 01, 1969
Source: CrossRef
Summary
Modern life often insulates us from profound experiences like death. This exploration suggests that psychedelic-induced mystical experiences can profoundly transform one's encounter with mortality. Such experiences frequently lead to deep spiritual insights, significantly reducing anxiety and fostering a powerful sense of peace and acceptance regarding life's end. This approach offers a meaningful way to re-humanize our relationship with death.
Abstract
This Spring I received a long distance telephone call from Dean Samuel Miller, who invited me to give this year's Ingersoll Lecture on human immortality. Three days later, Dean Miller was dead. When I heard the sad news, I, as many of you no doubt, began to think about the way he had influenced me, especially during my theological training here at Harvard Divinity School. One of my most vivid memories was a point which he emphasized in his class on Religion and Literature. Sam Miller felt strongly that in our modern 20th century two of the most profound and important experiences of human life are becoming more and more insulated from everyday existence. These two experiences, birth and death, have the potential for affecting the character and quality of the rest of life. But in each instance, they are falling victim to modern technological efficiency and adding to the process of dehumanization rather than counteracting it.