Psychedelics, the Bible, and the Divine

Jaime Clark-Soles

doi:10.3390/rel15050582

Psychedelics, the Bible, and the Divine

Jaime Clark-Soles

Religions May 24, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/rel15050582 (opens in new tab)

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Characteristics	Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics	Mystical experience
Keywords	Psychedelics and religion Visionary experience Biblical narratives New testament Bible Spiritual use Contemporary spiritual journeys
Citations	6
Key points	Argues that the Bible can serve as a rich source for integrating mystical experiences that Christians may have during psychedelic use, whether in medical or non-medical contexts.

Abstract

The current psychedelic renaissance intersects with Christian practices in two key ways. First, as psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) becomes more common, Christians undergoing therapeutic medical treatment may seek outside support for integrating into their religious lives mystical experiences that occur during psychedelic sessions. Second, with increasing legal access to psychedelics, more Christians may explore their spiritual potential outside of a medical context, either individually with spiritual guides or collectively in organized retreats. Many will have mystical encounters related to the Divine. Whether the experience involves the overwhelming presence or absence of the Divine, these Christians, too, will seek integration support. This essay argues that the Bible can serve as a rich source for such integration, because it contains significant material about mystical experiences marked by altered states of consciousness. First, I summarize the importance of the psychedelic renaissance, especially the scientific studies being conducted, as it relates to Christian practices of spiritual formation. Second, I explore new work being conducted by biblical scholars regarding embodied religious experiences with the Divine (and others), including mystical experiences. Third, I consider the Apostle Paul’s embodied mystical experience, with special attention to 2 Corinthians 12:1–10, as one example of biblical material that might intersect with or inform psychedelic mystical encounters that contemporary Christians might experience (whether in a medical therapeutic or non-medical spiritual formation setting). Finally, I indicate directions for further research and discussion.

Comparable studies

Other theoretical and historical papers on mystical experience, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design
Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis	1983	Theoretical or philosophical paper
The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter with Death	1969	Theoretical or philosophical paper
Vectorial Cerebral Hemisphericity as Differential Sources for the Sensed Presence, Mystical Experiences and Religious Conversions	1993	Theoretical or philosophical paper
The epistemic innocence of psychedelic states.	2016	Theoretical or philosophical paper
Mystical Experience and Religious Doctrine	1982	Theoretical or philosophical paper

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