The Philosophy of Psychedelics

L-R: Chris Letheby, Paul Liknaitzky

Dr Chris Letheby is a lecturer in philosophy at The University of Western Australia. His areas of specialisation are philosophy of mind, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of neuroscience. His research interests include the causal mechanisms and epistemic status of transformative spiritual practices, the possibility of a "naturalistic spirituality", and the nature of self-awareness. 

To this end, Chris’s  research to date has focused mainly on the use of classic psychedelic drugs in neuroscience and psychiatry. In several articles and a book, he has argued that a traditional conception of psychedelics as agents of insight and spirituality can be reconciled with naturalis - the philosophical position that the natural world is all there is. He takes a neurophilosophical approach, grounding his analyses in scientific findings, and has engaged in several interdisciplinary collaborations with neuroscientists and psychologists. 

At an event held at the Brain Park earlier this month, hosted by Dr Paul Liknaitzky, Chris talked of Physicalism and Psychedelic Consciousness and the “controlled hallucination” view of conscious experience.