Today’s world is in a constant state of change—from racial tensions to global pandemics and climate shifts, each day brings new challenges that are then amplified by the prevalence of
the always-on media. Human beings seem to be more “connected” than ever through significant technological advances like the internet, yet greater numbers continue to suffer from feelings of isolation and loneliness (Renken, 2020). With the recent COVID-19 virus outbreak, humanity’s ability to adapt to a new normal has been tested at a level never seen before (Picheta, 2020). Pain and trauma felt by marginalized communities, and those who have perpetuated the marginalization, are now spreading across the country and even the globe, exacerbated by the concept of “social distancing” that sparks fear and separation within communities. While the convergence of such intense emotions highlights the ironic separateness of our globalized society, it also lays the foundation for opportunities to awaken and mend. The previously ignorant are becoming increasingly aware of the inequities that have existed for centuries—or perhaps even millennia—and beginning to understand the full depth of such social challenges. This awakening is a crucial and precious time, yet without the proper tools and healing modalities, such unrest can simply pour salt on the wounds, rather than repair them.
One concept that has been used to explore and evolve the human spirit since before written history is alternative states of consciousness. From hypnosis to drug-induced, these states have been used in many forms and in nearly every culture around the globe to facilitate healing and growth on every level, from the individual to the collective. In the Mazatec tradition, shamans use psilocybin mushrooms to help members of their community connect with spirits and gain insight from the celestial realm (Richards, 2015, p. 82). In Ancient Greece, philosophers—including those upon whose guidance we rely on today like Plato and Seneca— participated in annual ritual ceremonies called Eleusinian Mysteries that included the kykeon hallucinogenic medicine, which gave them foresight far beyond their ordinary human capacity (Pittaway, 2018, p. 446). The entire Asian region, as well as the Indian continent, have accessed consciousness states and “peak experiences” through meditation to heal their mind, bodies and even families for thousands of years (Mead, 2020). Across Southern Africa, indigenous peoples continue to use the ubulawu medicine to communicate with ancestral spirits and bring luck to their communities (Pittaway, 2018, p. 448). The list of such examples is enormous, and these described represent a tiny fraction of the overall field of study. Yet, only in the last century has the Western World, through the discoveries of Albert Hofmann in his experiments synthesizing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and the entrance of Eastern-trained meditation gurus like Maharishi Mahesh Yogi into the public eye, begun to explore the full potential of such states (Mead, 2020).
As one begins to research how these consciousness states, particularly those induced through psychedelic medicines and meditation, positively impacted tribes and civilizations throughout history, it becomes exceedingly clear that these tools are not just effective, but among the most important resources toward healing that exist in our world today. It is thus the purpose of this paper to explore how alternative states of consciousness occasioned by psychedelics and meditation may impact the individual’s desire to not only heal themselves, but also to heal the world around them by creating positive—meaning peaceful and equitable— social change in their communities.
In more recent years, the prevalence of research that aims to heal treatment-resistant or chronically ill patients through psychedelics has increased to a level only seen in the early 1960s. One such study provided a high dose of psilocybin to individuals with life-threatening cancer and then conducted follow up interviews two months after the experiment to determine the long-term effects (Agin-Liebes et. al., 2020). The results of this study—which mirror many others—showed that “Seventy-nine percent of the volunteers rated that the psilocybin experience increased their current sense of personal well-being or life satisfaction “moderately” (50%) or “very much” (29%), in contrast to 17 and 4%, respectively, after methylphenidate,” (the control substance) (Agin-Liebes et. al., 2020). The Agin-Liebes et. al. experiment not only proved the mental and physiological improvements occasioned through psychedelically-induced alternative states of consciousness (see Appendix A), but also the potentials for healing in individuals who are treatment resistant or feel hopeless in the face of chronic pain.
In his book Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experience, William Richards covers everything from mystical and visionary forms of consciousness to the present and future applications of psychedelics, which he refers to as entheogens (Richards, 2015). As a means of exploring the elements of these mystical experiences, Richards introduces six characteristics that are commonly felt among subjects, including (1) God, (2) immortality, (3) interrelationships/interconnectedness, (4) love, (5) beauty, and (6) emerging wisdom (Richards, 2015, p. 41). He discusses each of these in great detail, describing traditional definitions of these aspects and how they relate to the field of entheogenic mystical consciousness. In relation to immortality, for example, he describes how mystical forms of experience can result in loss of the fear of death and thus “reduced depression, anxiety, preoccupation with pain, and interpersonal isolation,” (Richards, 2015, p. 47). This can be best exemplified by a patient he observed who was suffering from Stage IV lymphoma and had experienced mystical consciousness through a high dose of dipropyltryptamine (DPT) : I don’t have the fear of death that I once had. . . . I have found that everyday living seems to be much more enjoyable. . . . Overall I think that I am a much more content individual, having had the great opportunity to just glimpse for a very short moment the overall thinking of God, of possibly being brought into His confidence for just a brief period, to be reassured that there is a very beautiful, loving masterful plan in this Universe for all of us. (Richards, 2015, p. 48)
To demonstrate emerging wisdom, Richards describes the concept of “entelechy,” which is a “purposive, meaningful process of unfolding content within awareness,” and how this can be felt on a much deeper level during mystical consciousness. He goes on to describe how entelechy during and after psychedelic experiences can lead the individual to understand the creative choreography of one’s life path, leading the participant to absorb new levels of self- knowledge, transformation and overall awareness (Richards, 2015, p. 54). The Agin-Liebes study confirms this, showing the results of such mystical experiences to be deeply meaningful and transformative to the patients who were given high doses of psilocybin, as illustrated in Appendix A (Agin-Liebes et. al., 2020). Consequently, these consciousness experiences allow the individual to grow from within and continue growing even after the moment itself has gone.
There are thousands of other examples—both first-hand and observed—that substantiate Richards’ six common characteristics of mystical consciousness occasioned by psychedelics. Reverend William Potoroka describes his own psychedelic experience with LSD, saying:
"I felt that I was ascending a spiral staircase and that this was leading me up, up, into the light. It was as if my ascent would soon put me within gazing distance of God and his throne. At the same time I felt that I had to draw back from this because who was I to presume to rise to look into God’s face..."
He later attributed his dedication to the experiments and his own faith as a whole to this very moment, just confirming its significance in his life (Lyons, 2018, p. 10-11). In his article “To learn healing knowledge: Philosophy, psychedelic studies and transformation,” David Pittaway describes his personal definition of the cosmic or philosophical consciousness gained through psychedelic mystical experiences:
[S]eeing for the first time, or seeing with new eyes; transitioning from seeing the world habitually, or for ourselves, to seeing the world for itself; a “healing” characterised by perceptual freedom, peace and serenity; cosmic consciousness characterised by transcendence of human mortality and a feeling of being connected to a bigger unity; a mystical sense of being initiated into the mystery of existence.
Many of these characteristics mimic the six that Richards discusses, and all lead the individual to new levels of learning and growth in their life, as well as the lives of those they come into contact with.
As individuals shift to a new way of being through such healing modalities, perhaps our collective will begin to grow into a more peaceful, equitable global community.
As above, so below.
As within, so without.
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