The Science of Altered States – Past, Present, and Future

Intense and meaningful altered states of consciousness have occurred within people around the world and throughout history, up to and including the present day. The founders of every major religion described them, philosophers since antiquity have pondered them, and according to recent polls, about 30% of people still report them. A century ago, philosopher and psychologist William James famously analyzed accounts of these experiences and raised questions for future scientific study. What triggers these events? How are the brain and body affected? How do these brief moments have such lasting effects? Now, modern science has some answers. The resurgence of psychedelic research had moved questions like these into the center of mainstream medical and intellectual discourse. This talk will cover these topics, based on the new book “The Varieties of Spiritual Experience: 21st Century Research Perspectives“.

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