On the ambiguity of psychedelic awe in China

Wonder is often treated as an inherently positive emotion in psychology, but its effects depend on social context. This article examines a Chinese psychedelic user's DMT experience involving a humiliating encounter with a cosmic surveillance state. The ambiguity of psychedelic states, like wonder, arises from existential vulnerability, which can enable diverse social, moral, and psychological outcomes.

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Abstract

Psychology research frequently portrays the epistemic emotion of wonder as an intrinsic good. However, anthropologists highlight that social contexts shape its ambiguous political and moral potential. This concise article explores the awe‐inspiring DMT experience of a Chinese psychedelic user, which involves a humiliating encounter with a cosmic surveillance state. Analogous to the mood of wonder, the ambiguity inherent to psychedelic states originates from an existential vulnerability. This openness facilitates a wide range of potential social, moral, and psychological projects.