Narratives of the mystical among users of psychedelics
Acta Sociologica January 11, 2021 Willy Pedersen, Heith Copes, Liridona Gashi 25 citations
Interviews with 50 psychedelic drug users reveal that their experiences consistently follow archetypical mystical narratives, including the transcendence of time and space, deep euphoria, and a sense of oneness with a larger whole. These narratives have clear roots in traditional mystical thinking but also reflect current cultural and political influences, such as themes of oneness with plants and animals and the need to protect nature. The findings suggest that mystical experiences from psychedelics have archetypical patterns but are shaped by culturally specific storylines.