Frontiers in Psychology
June 14, 2023
Juuso Kähönen
43 citations
Psychedelic experiences can shift people's values toward self-transcendence—greater appreciation of beauty, pro-environmental attitudes, and prosocial behavior. This article presents a philosophical-psychological framework explaining how self-transcendent experiences (STEs) drive these value changes. Drawing on Iris Murdoch's concept of 'unselfing,' the author argues that reducing egocentric concerns widens attention and shifts evaluation away from self-interest. Unselfing diminishes biased salience and attunes individuals to values beyond the self. Psychedelics temporarily enhance access to self-transcendent values, but contextual factors influence whether changes persist. The framework is supported by empirical connections between egocentricity, STEs, and self-transcendent values, plus phenomenological analysis of psychedelic experiences.
American Journal of Bioethics
July 1, 2025
Joel Janhonen, Juuso Kähönen, Joona Räsänen
5 citations
Daniel Villiger argues that a patient's ignorance about the outcomes of transformative treatments does not necessarily undermine their autonomy, challenging the view that such ignorance should prohibit access to these treatments.
Conscious Cogn
July 7, 2025
Jussi Jylkkä, Hilla Väyrynen, Enyu Lin et al.
3 citations
Meditation and psychedelics both foster mystical, psychological, and philosophical-existential insights that predict wellbeing. A qualitative-quantitative study found that these insights, whether from meditation or controlled psychedelic use, are associated with positive shifts in personal wellbeing. The authors suggest that the types of insights from both practices overlap and can profoundly benefit individuals, leading to enhanced wellbeing and personal transformation.
Psychoactives
December 17, 2025
Juuso Kähönen
2 citations
Classic psychedelics like psilocybin are unlikely to reliably foster moral growth in healthy individuals, according to a critical analysis. The argument challenges the idea of psychedelic moral bioenhancement (PMBE), contending that the subjective, context-dependent nature of psychedelic experiences makes them unsuitable as a dependable tool for moral enhancement. The author suggests that moral development requires sustained cognitive and social engagement rather than transient pharmacological effects. The analysis draws on existing evidence about psychedelics' mechanisms and effects to question the feasibility and ethical basis of using them for moral improvement in non-clinical populations.
American Journal of Bioethics
January 1, 2025
Juuso Kähönen, Joel Janhonen, Joona Räsänen
1 citation
Psychedelic experiences are attracting growing attention from bioethicists, with recent scholarship indicating that these experiences raise distinct ethical questions about autonomy, authenticity, and the nature of the self. The text argues that the altered states induced by psychedelics challenge conventional bioethical frameworks, particularly regarding informed consent and the moral significance of transformative experiences. It suggests that bioethicists must reconsider how to evaluate the risks and benefits of psychedelic therapies, especially when the experiences themselves can fundamentally change a person's values and beliefs. The authors call for a more nuanced ethical analysis that accounts for the unique features of psychedelic experiences.