Frontiers in Psychology
March 31, 2023
Peter Sjöstedt-hughes
54 citations
Psychedelic-induced metaphysical experiences should be integrated and evaluated using metaphysics, not just mysticism. In psychedelic-assisted therapy, patients may benefit from an optional, additional schema and discussion of metaphysical options during the integrative phase. The proposed "Metaphysics Matrix" and a new Metaphysics Matrix Questionnaire (MMQ) can serve as tools for quantitative measurement of psychedelic experience in trials. Metaphysics is based on argument rather than pure revelation, unlike mysticism. This approach bridges reason-based philosophy and practical therapy, potentially fusing philosophy with practical science.
Bloomsbury Academic eBooks
January 1, 2022
Peter Sjöstedt-hughes
27 citations
Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes argues that unitive experiences reported in psychedelic states, particularly those induced by 5-MeO-DMT, can be understood through Spinoza's metaphysics of monism, pantheism, panpsychism, and eternal substance. He proposes a symbiosis: Spinoza's system illuminates these psychedelic states, and such states can provide intuitive access to Spinozan ideas, potentially transforming one's relationship to self and nature.
Interdisciplinary Science Reviews
September 27, 2022
Christine Hauskeller, Taline Artinian, Amelia Fiske et al.
26 citations
The study of psychedelics is troubled by dualisms—subject and object, self and other, culture and nature, synthetic and natural, colonizer and indigenous, literal and metaphorical—that appear in both colonial and decolonial thought. Drawing on feminist and decolonial theory and a discussion of metaphor, the authors argue that research often lacks critical engagement with these binaries. A narrow view of coloniality limits critiques of contemporary capitalism, including the progressive colonization of the life-world and commodification of psychedelic experiences. Fears that decolonization is becoming merely a 'metaphor' implicitly reinforce the conceptual power dynamics of colonization. As a critical metaphor, decolonization can help reassess problematic distinctions shaping thinking, material realities, and experiences.
Philosophical Psychology
May 8, 2025
Peter Sjöstedt-hughes
4 citations
Pantheism, the idea that all is God, frequently underlies psychedelic experiences reported in both research literature and clinical trials, yet its meaning remains poorly understood in therapeutic settings. This essay addresses that gap by examining Pantheism's etymology and historical development, exploring the meanings of 'pan' (all) and 'theos' (God). It then presents a typology distinguishing two genuine forms—Monist and Idealist Pantheism—alongside related doctrines: Physicalist Pantheism, Partial Pantheism, Panentheism, and Panpsychism.
January 1, 2024
Peter Sjöstedt-hughes
2 citations
The author attempts to rectify and fortify the Bergsonian metaphysics that Aldous Huxley used in *The Doors of Perception* to explain his mescaline experience. Two key concepts are examined: the 'reducing valve,' which filters perception of the external world and the past for practical purposes, and 'Mind-at-Large,' which denotes the entirety of the external world beyond what one perceives. The paper argues that these ideas, drawn from Henri Bergson, can help deepen understanding of psychedelic experience.
December 16, 2024
Felix Scholkmann, Peter Sjöstedt-hughes
1 citation
preprint
A new term, 'psychosomadelics', is proposed to replace 'psychedelics' for a certain class of psychoactive substances. The authors argue that 'psychedelics' is psychocentric, focusing primarily on mental effects and neglecting the somatic (bodily) effects, which are increasingly documented. The new term aims to balance and enrich discourse by denoting both mind and body concepts and indirectly relating to philosophical mind-body ontologies and phenomenologies. The authors suggest adopting this term to evolve and expand the connotations of such substances and their effects.