Psychedelics are part of a resurgence of interest in consciousness studies, especially as altered states of consciousness are being re-examined in the context of psychedelic-assisted therapies. To date, discussions about psychedelics in modern medicine have been dominated by studies in biomedicine. However, given that cultural factors play a significant role in the subjective effects of psychedelics, psychedelics can be considered a uniquely powerful point of convergence between the cultural and biomedical. Writers and artists, alongside psychiatrists and pharmacologists, have participated in shaping ‘the psychedelic experience’ by drawing on a rich set of approaches that blend narrative, arts, and humanities concepts to explain and interpret psychedelic experiences and explore consciousness for creative purposes. Psychedelic studies, past and present, emphasize the importance of ‘set and setting’ or the context of psychedelic consumption and its paramount importance in shaping psychedelic experiences. These non-pharmacological factors rely on a different set of methods and interpretations that necessarily rely on studies conducted outside of the biomedical sciences.
We take inspiration from recent scholarship, including Ido Hartogsohn who suggests, in American Trip (2020), that a ‘cultural setting’ is significant in theorizing the wider concepts involved in analysing ‘set and setting’ that spills beyond a laboratory setting and openly questions different states of consciousness that guide decisions to take psychedelics in the first place. Historically, American psychiatrist Betty Eisner developed a concept of ‘matrix’, which she argued placed greater emphasis on the integration of experience into a cultural setting. We draw on philosopher Peter Sloterdijk’s suggestion in ‘Rules for the Human Park’, just as the humanities in their more familiar form, inherited from the 19th c, involves the use of books as anthropotechnical devices to civilize humans, so in future psychedelics might perform a similar role, hence ‘the psychedelic humanities’. In this way, we invite authors to explore altered states of consciousness and to investigate how psychedelic experiences have contributed to this area of study.
In this Research Topic we invite scholars working in humanities and social sciences to contribute to an enriching discussion about developments in psychedelic studies from ethical, sociological, gendered, historical, anthropological, philosophical, and policy perspectives. While we welcome studies that explore intersections of medicine and culture, we especially encourage submissions from scholars examining psychedelics in non-medical settings, including ceremonial spaces, recreational settings, or spaces where consumers seek psychedelic experiences in order to expand notions of human flourishing and creativity as part of consciousness studies.
We seek to explore what psychedelics can teach us about humanity, including aspirational experiences alongside cautionary tales about the potential pitfalls of a psychedelic renaissance and what it might come to represent in this era of human history.
• How do psychedelic humanities contribute to consciousness studies?
• How can studies in the psychedelic humanities contribute to the resurgence of interest in psychedelics?
• How has and how does culture interact with psychedelic science to create evidence in this field?
• Can we learn from non-clinical encounters with psychedelics, and if so, how?
• How does qualitative evidence enhance or detract from our understanding of psychedelic studies?
Psychedelics are part of a resurgence of interest in consciousness studies, especially as altered states of consciousness are being re-examined in the context of psychedelic-assisted therapies. To date, discussions about psychedelics in modern medicine have been dominated by studies in biomedicine. However, given that cultural factors play a significant role in the subjective effects of psychedelics, psychedelics can be considered a uniquely powerful point of convergence between the cultural and biomedical. Writers and artists, alongside psychiatrists and pharmacologists, have participated in shaping ‘the psychedelic experience’ by drawing on a rich set of approaches that blend narrative, arts, and humanities concepts to explain and interpret psychedelic experiences and explore consciousness for creative purposes. Psychedelic studies, past and present, emphasize the importance of ‘set and setting’ or the context of psychedelic consumption and its paramount importance in shaping psychedelic experiences. These non-pharmacological factors rely on a different set of methods and interpretations that necessarily rely on studies conducted outside of the biomedical sciences.
We take inspiration from recent scholarship, including Ido Hartogsohn who suggests, in American Trip (2020), that a ‘cultural setting’ is significant in theorizing the wider concepts involved in analysing ‘set and setting’ that spills beyond a laboratory setting and openly questions different states of consciousness that guide decisions to take psychedelics in the first place. Historically, American psychiatrist Betty Eisner developed a concept of ‘matrix’, which she argued placed greater emphasis on the integration of experience into a cultural setting. We draw on philosopher Peter Sloterdijk’s suggestion in ‘Rules for the Human Park’, just as the humanities in their more familiar form, inherited from the 19th c, involves the use of books as anthropotechnical devices to civilize humans, so in future psychedelics might perform a similar role, hence ‘the psychedelic humanities’. In this way, we invite authors to explore altered states of consciousness and to investigate how psychedelic experiences have contributed to this area of study.
In this Research Topic we invite scholars working in humanities and social sciences to contribute to an enriching discussion about developments in psychedelic studies from ethical, sociological, gendered, historical, anthropological, philosophical, and policy perspectives. While we welcome studies that explore intersections of medicine and culture, we especially encourage submissions from scholars examining psychedelics in non-medical settings, including ceremonial spaces, recreational settings, or spaces where consumers seek psychedelic experiences in order to expand notions of human flourishing and creativity as part of consciousness studies.
We seek to explore what psychedelics can teach us about humanity, including aspirational experiences alongside cautionary tales about the potential pitfalls of a psychedelic renaissance and what it might come to represent in this era of human history.
• How do psychedelic humanities contribute to consciousness studies?
• How can studies in the psychedelic humanities contribute to the resurgence of interest in psychedelics?
• How has and how does culture interact with psychedelic science to create evidence in this field?
• Can we learn from non-clinical encounters with psychedelics, and if so, how?
• How does qualitative evidence enhance or detract from our understanding of psychedelic studies?