Philosophy and classic psychedelics: A review of some emerging themes

Serotonergic psychedelics have prompted philosophical questions that academic philosophers are now beginning to explore. This paper reviews four emerging research areas: selfless consciousness, psychedelic epistemology, psychedelic ethics, and spiritual or religious naturalism. It highlights questions about how psychedelics affect self-consciousness and phenomenal consciousness, the epistemic nature of psychedelic experiences, ethical issues surrounding appropriate use, and whether spiritual or religious aspects of psychedelic use can fit within a naturalistic worldview.

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Abstract

Abstract Serotonergic (or “ classic” ) psychedelics have struck many researchers as raising significant philosophical questions that, until recently, were largely unexplored by academic philosophers. This paper provides an overview of four emerging lines of research at the intersection of academic philosophy and psychedelic science that have gained considerable traction in the last decade: selfless consciousness, psychedelic epistemology, psychedelic ethics, and spiritual/religious naturalism. In this paper, we highlight philosophical questions concerning (i) psychedelics, self-consciousness, and phenomenal consciousness, (ii) the epistemic profile of the psychedelic experience; (iii) ethical concerns about the appropriate use of psychedelics; and (iv) whether spiritual or religious dimensions of psychedelic use are compatible with a naturalistic worldview.