What to do about the woo? Review of ‘Philosophy and Psychedelics. Frameworks for Exceptional Experience' . Edited by Christine Hauskeller and Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes. London: Bloomsbury (2022).
Interdisciplinary Science Reviews July 29, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/03080188.2023.2233245 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe brain under psychedelics operates in a state where prior beliefs are relaxed, allowing sensory input to more strongly influence perception. This theory, called REBUS (RElaxed Beliefs Under psychedelics), integrates principles from neurobiology and free-energy minimization. The authors argue that psychedelics reduce the weight of high-level priors, enabling a more flexible and exploratory mode of cognition. This framework helps explain the profound shifts in consciousness, ego dissolution, and therapeutic potential observed with these substances.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Argument complex analysis Faith Statement logic Philosophy Theology |
| Key finding | Proposes that psychedelics work by relaxing high-level prior beliefs, thereby increasing the influence of bottom-up sensory information on conscious experience. |
Abstract
In a landmark paper from 2019, Robin Carhart-Harris and Karl Friston lay out their theory for what happens to the human brain under the influence of psychedelics: their so-called REBUS (RElaxed Bra...