Cultural Neurophenomenology of Psychedelic Thought
Oxford University Press eBooks – April 05, 2018
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin and other hallucinogens profoundly alter human cognition and perception, fostering creative insight and mystical experiences. Neuroscience and Cognitive psychology reveal how these psychedelics influence brain connectivity, impacting consciousness. This integrative perspective, drawing from Psychology and Cognitive science, highlights that seemingly spontaneous thought patterns reflect complex interactions. Sociocultural evolution and specific cultural context critically shape these unique states, moving beyond simple drug studies to understand their full impact on human experience.
Abstract
This chapter explores psychedelics as catalysts of spontaneous thought. Classic serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca can induce potent alterations in cognition and perception. The chapter reviews research on these substances through the lens of cultural neurophenomenology, which aims to trace how neurobiology and sociocultural factors interact to shape experience. After a decades-long hiatus, the scientific study of psychedelics is rediscovering the potential of these substances to promote creative insight, evoke mystical experiences, and improve clinical outcomes. Moreover, neuroimaging experiments have begun to unravel the influence of psychedelics on large-scale connectivity networks of the human brain. Tapping perspectives from the social sciences, the chapter underscores how culture and context constrain the flexible cognitive states brought about by psychedelics. This integrative approach suggests that seemingly spontaneous psychedelic thought patterns reflect a complex interaction of biological, cognitive, and cultural factors—from pharmacology and brain function to ritual, belief, and expectation.