Spirituality

Psychedelic research supports the view that transformative experiences and practices can legitimately be called 'spiritual' while remaining compatible with a naturalistic worldview. The existential transformation from some psychedelic experiences—temporarily suspending the default, self-referential mode of cognition and enabling feelings of connectedness, wonder, and awe—provides a paradigm for naturalistic spirituality. This evidence reinforces core ideas from recent philosophical work, such as spirituality being about connection, aspiration, and asking the Big Questions, and that these experiences overcome limitations of the ordinary sense of self. The chapter argues that such experiences and practices are independent of non-naturalistic metaphysical beliefs.

Study at a glance

Abstract

‘Spirituality’ examines the import of psychedelic evidence for the philosophical project of naturalising spirituality. This chapter argues that psychedelic research vindicates the claim that there are transformative experiences and practices that can legitimately be called ‘spiritual’ and are compatible with adherence to a naturalistic worldview. The existential transformation afforded by some psychedelic experiences provides a paradigm for naturalistic spirituality: the temporary suspension of our default, self-referential mode of cognition, making available experiences of connectedness and feelings of wonder and awe. Jerome Stone (2012) has reviewed recent philosophical work on naturalistic spirituality and extracted some core ideas: notably (i) that spirituality is about connection, aspiration, and asking the Big Questions, and (ii) that these are all ways of overcoming the limitations of the ordinary sense of self. This chapter argues that psychedelic evidence supports these claims, as well as the further claim that such experiences and practices are independent of non-naturalistic metaphysical ideations.