No Attainment, Nothing to Attain: A Buddhist Reflection on Psychedelics
Journal of Contemplative Studies February 29, 2024 Peter D. Hershock
The religious or spiritual value of contemplative practices and psychedelic use is not inherent in the experiences themselves but depends on how they transform consciousness. Drawing on a nonreductive, nondualist Buddhist account, the author argues that changes in subjective experience are only provisional goals; the ultimate aim is cultivating liberating and compassionate relations. Recent neuroscientific studies combining first-person and third-person methods challenge individualist conceptions of autonomy, highlight the importance of group practice, and show that mindfulness techniques stripped of their dharmic context are inadequate.