Ancient Wisdom, Modern Questions: Western and Orthodox Christianity Engage Psychedelic Spirituality
Geoffrey Ready, Ron Cole-Turner
Religions May 18, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/rel17050604 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Spirituality Christianity Religious experience Spiritual practice Transpersonal Orthodoxy Christian tradition Aesthetics Doctrine Spiritualities Religious studies Discernment Diversity politics Spiritual development Trance Contemplation Western thought Spiritual formation |
| Key points | Argues that Orthodox Christianity's traditions of spiritual discernment, ascetical preparation, and communal formation provide resources for evaluating psychedelic spiritual experiences within established Christian frameworks. |
Abstract
Recent studies show that psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD can reliably occasion spiritual or “mystical-like” experiences under supportive conditions, and the spiritual dimension of these experiences may contribute to their reported mental health benefits. Scholars have begun exploring how such experiences might relate to spiritual growth within Christian frameworks, but most theological engagement has drawn primarily on Western sources. This article addresses that gap by bringing Orthodox Christianity into dialogue with Western Christian theology on questions of psychedelic spirituality. Drawing on traditions beginning in Christianity’s earliest centuries, we argue that Orthodoxy offers distinctive and largely unexplored resources that both challenge and enrich existing approaches. We highlight five themes. First, Orthodoxy’s insistence that profound spiritual experience belongs to the universal Christian vocation rather than a spiritual elite reframes contemporary discussions of mystical experience. Second, the tradition’s recognition of diverse catalysts for spiritual awakening, and its understanding of ascetical preparation as receptive rather than self-generating, provides a framework for evaluating psychedelic experiences that sometimes resemble other mystical experience by their orientation and fruits. Third, the doctrine of the divine energies offers a framework for understanding genuine encounters with God’s real presence and activity in creation, allowing comparison with Western accounts of the Holy Spirit’s activity. Fourth, Orthodoxy’s emphasis on ongoing formation within Christian communities situates spiritual experience within a broader process of transformation. Fifth, Orthodox traditions of spiritual discernment, including the neptic tradition’s caution against acquisitive seeking of mystical states, offer well-developed criteria for evaluating authenticity, a matter of urgency given the diversity of claims surrounding psychedelics. Rather than requiring radical revision of Christian theology, we argue that engagement with psychedelic experiences can occur within established frameworks when guided by discernment, formation, and communal accountability. By placing Orthodox and Western perspectives in constructive dialogue, this study contributes to a richer ecumenical understanding of psychedelic spirituality within Christianity.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- A Gratuitous Grace: The Influence of Religious Set and Intent on the Psychedelic Experience Journal of Psychoactive Drugs August 8, 2018
- A Transformative Trip? Experiences of Psychedelic Use Neuroethics June 20, 2024
- Psychedelic experiences and long-term spiritual growth: a systematic review Current Psychology July 12, 2024
- Psychedelic Mystical Experience: A New Agenda for Theology Religions May 1, 2022
and 7 more in the library