In the natural world, there are more than 200 psilocybin mushroom species (most of these belong to the genera Psilocybe, but psilocybin-producing mushrooms also belong to genera such as Copelandia, Inocybe, and Panaeolus). There are also many different strains, or varieties, of psilocybin mushroom species. Most of these strains belong to the species Psilocybe cubensis.…
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Clifford Sosis interviewed me for the website What Is It Like to Be a Philosopher?, and on the subject of psychedelics, he remarked, “I’m always disappointed by reports of drug fueled insights…merely seems like the effect of…I don’t know…the chemical disorganization of the brain?” I partly agreed (but not with the point about reducing all…
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It is hard to find much information on the connections between Quakerism (or the Religious Society of Friends) and psychedelic use. This is in contrast to discussions on the (actual or possible) influence of psychedelics on other religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and animistic religions. Unlike these other traditions, there are no signs…
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It is common to associate psychedelics with environmentalism. In the popular imagination, psychedelic users might be viewed as tree-hugging hippies and Gaia worshippers. But beyond these stereotypes, there is also research to support the links between psychedelic use and connection to nature, which has led some to argue that psychedelics could help us solve the…
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The psychedelic guru Timothy Leary proposed a theory of human consciousness, known as the eight-circuit model of consciousness, in his books Neurologic (1973), Exo-Psychology (1977), The Intelligence Agents (1979), and The Game of Life (1979). This theory reflects Leary’s deep interest in mind expansion and psychedelics; the theory itself – which is presented as psychological…
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