The Faithful Response to the Comforting Delusion Objection
Neuroethics March 1, 2025 Adrian Kind 1 citation
The Comforting Delusion Objection argues that psychedelic therapy may improve mental well-being but causes epistemic harm by generating metaphysical beliefs incompatible with naturalism. This paper counters that objection with the Faithful Response: the non-naturalistic attitudes arising from psychedelic experiences are typically forms of faith, not beliefs. Faith is non-doxastic and thus not subject to epistemic evaluation, so it cannot be deemed epistemically harmful. Without such harm, the Comforting Delusion Objection loses its force.