Research on psychedelics often measures 'mystical' effects using psychometric tools, and clinical studies link such experiences to better mental health. However, this research rarely engages with scholarship from religious studies or anthropology, which reveal that the concept of 'mysticism' in psychedelic science carries unacknowledged biases—particularly a perennialist and Christian bias that fails to historicize the term. The authors trace the concept's history in psychedelic research, propose more culturally sensitive operationalizations, and advocate for complementary 'non-mystical' approaches to study these phenomena, aiming to build interdisciplinary bridges for stronger theoretical and empirical work.
A scholarly critique argues that the popular claim that the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries involved psychedelic drugs is based on flawed methodology and rhetorical tricks rather than solid evidence. The authors trace how Carl Ruck, Brian Muraresku, and influencers like Joe Rogan built a pseudo-history by presenting speculation as fact, then using that as a foundation for further conjecture. This effort to give Western civilization a psychedelic pedigree, the critique contends, resembles religious fundamentalism—treating a modern practice as the hidden true religion underlying all traditions. The fixation on a supposed Eleusinian drug ignores well-documented Indigenous psychedelic histories and nonpharmacological methods of altering consciousness. The authors conclude that this shaky historical foundation undermines arguments for modern psychedelic use and that honest scholarship, not mythmaking, is essential for progress in decriminalization and regulation.
Biomedicine cannot adequately address the negative entity encounters and 'bad trips' that many psychedelic users report. This essay argues that a different ontological approach is needed to understand these experiences and support patients. It proposes a psychedelic theodicy as a framework for contextualizing such challenging psychedelic phenomena, drawing on perspectives beyond the biomedical model.