By Jackie Krentzman
Since the 1960s, the Esalen Institute has been at the forefront of the human potential movement. Now cofounder Michael Murphy, an ardent golfer and former frat boy, is reaching a new generation with his books on spirituality.
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The drug lowers brain barriers, allowing distant regions to talk and thoughts to flow more freely.
Many people have a spiritual experience on psychedelics. How they make meaning of it could be influenced by the metaphysical beliefs of their therapists.
Demand from patients seeking help for their mental illnesses has led to underground use in a way that parallels black markets in the AIDS pandemic. This underground use has been most perilous for people of color, who face greater stigma and legal risks due to the War on Drugs.
Traditionally, psychedelics (as well as other experiences, like Holotropic Breathwork) are coupled with practices that confirm, extend, and expand the insights intrinsic to altered states.
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Before we claim that spiritual experiences heal, we must agree on what a spiritual experience is.
Here, we asked Graham Hancock about plant medicine, the purpose and meaning of hallucinogenic experiences, and what bigger opportunities he sees for humanity in all of this.
Understanding the root causes of addiction can help us to better treat it.