Conclusion
Philosophy of Psychedelics August 1, 2021 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1093/med/9780198843122.003.0010
Summary
The chapter concludes the discussion on the Philosophy of Psychedelics, summarizing key arguments and suggesting future research directions. It emphasizes that the Comforting Delusion Objection to psychedelic therapy is flawed and proposes an 'Entheogenic Conception' of psychedelics as beneficial for knowledge and spiritual experience, which aligns with naturalism and current evidence.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | The Comforting Delusion Objection to psychedelic therapy fails, and psychedelics can be viewed as agents of epistemic benefit and spiritual experience. |
|---|
Abstract
The ‘Conclusion’ summarises the main ideas of Philosophy of Psychedelics and makes some suggestions for future research. The first part of the chapter provides a chapter-by-chapter summary of the arguments of the book, and lists the various testable predictions that follow from these arguments. The second part suggests some other directions for future research, pointing to outstanding questions about psychedelics in various fields of inquiry, including philosophy of science, philosophy of psychiatry, ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of transformative experience. The third part reflects on the significance of the book’s two central theses: that the Comforting Delusion Objection to psychedelic therapy fails, and that an ‘Entheogenic Conception’ of psychedelics as agents of epistemic benefit and spiritual experience is both consistent with naturalism and plausible in light of our best current evidence.