Philosophy of Psychedelics

Mounting scientific evidence supports the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in psychiatry. Chris Letheby considers how the role of transcendent “mystical-type” experiences in psychedelic therapy raises deep philosophical questions. As American author Michael Pollan asked, is psychedelic therapy “simply foisting a comforting delusion on the sick and dying”, or do patients gain real forms of knowledge from their drug-induced experiences?

Bio

Chris is a Lecturer in Philosophy at The University of Western Australia. His areas of specialisation are philosophy of mind, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of neuroscience. Chris' research focuses mainly on the use of classic psychedelic drugs in neuroscience and psychiatry.

Event

5:30 pm @Varsity Northbridge, 94 Aberdeen St, Northbridge

Also speaking at this location at 7:00 pm is Rob Wilson