The essay argues that the shift of psychedelics from counterculture to mainstream acceptance is tied to the rise of 'capitalist realism,' a term from Mark Fisher meaning capitalism is seen as the only viable social system. Neoliberalism, the driving force, defused the political and collective potential of 1960s psychedelic movements by emphasizing individualism over social change. The anti-work and communal aspects of psychedelic culture were lost as they became tools for enhancing or treating individual brains without challenging capitalist society. The author contends that psychedelics' context-dependence shows that personal change, aligned with values of love and connection, requires transforming society, especially given ecological and social crises.
The paper introduces the Nasa Indigenous concept of sentipensar, showing that knowledge arises from being in relationships through the body, affect, intuition, and deliberation that listens to the body and spirits. It argues that knowledge is produced not only in the mind but also in rituals, land-based practices, and everyday acts of care and resistance that sustain community life. Sentipensar offers an understanding of knowledge as deeply situated and communal, challenging the dominant view of knowledge as a cognitive or individual pursuit.