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Bryan Mccarthy

University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg; Pennsylvania, USA.

2 papers in the library · 6 citations · publishing 2024-2025

Papers

Psychedelic Christianity: From evangelical hippies and Roman Catholic intellectuals in the sixties to clergy in a Johns Hopkins clinical trial

Journal of Psychedelic Studies June 21, 2024 Bryan Mccarthy, Hunt Priest 6 citations

Three historical and contemporary examples illustrate what the authors call 'psychedelic Christianity': hippies who converted during the Jesus movement while still using psychedelics, mid-20th-century Catholic intellectuals who experimented with the compounds for spiritual and therapeutic reasons, and contemporary clergy who participated in Johns Hopkins and NYU studies with psychedelics. The authors highlight the healing these Christians experienced through their psychedelic practice, addressing a gap in academic literature that has largely focused on historical or ethical questions rather than how such a practice might look.

Griffiths et al.'s Study of Psilocybin with Religious Professionals: A Theological Response from a Christian Perspective.

Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.) December 1, 2025 Joseph Lorenz, Scott Hawkins, Bryan Mccarthy

A commentary on Griffiths et al.'s study of psilocybin's effects on clergy argues that the study's design assumes a perennialist view of mysticism, which adds unnecessary metaphysical and theological weight. The authors also contend that using psychedelics to pursue mystical experiences risks two pathologies: hyper-individualism and idolatry. Religious traditions and communities are well-suited to counter these risks.