On the social epistemology of psychedelic experience
Philosophical Psychology June 27, 2024 M. Pedersen, Asbjørn Steglich‐petersen 5 citations
Psychedelic experiences are often claimed to produce therapeutic benefits through epistemic changes like spiritual insight or disrupting problematic beliefs. While recent philosophy suggests these epistemic risks are benign and outweighed by benefits, this paper argues that social factors play a crucial but overlooked role. The openness, clarity, and certainty that facilitate epistemic benefits also make users more vulnerable to adverse epistemic influence from their social environment. Examining these social influences is important for informed consent and safe drug use.