Psychedelics and Buddhism: Hindrance or Skillful Means?

Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Member Matt Russell

You may have heard, there is a “new science of psychedelics” and major studies are showing that these substances, when properly used, can help relieve human suffering, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction. Some proponents claim that psychedelics have the potential to revolutionize health care as well as our understanding of the mind.

Psychedelics and Buddhism have a long, if seldom discussed, overlapping history in this country that continues into the present day.

This talk will offer an inquiry into the implications of the current state of “psychedelic science” on dharma practitioners, exploring the possibilities as well as the potential dangers and perils.

We will inquire into topics such as: psychedelics and the 5th precept, the impact of psychedelics on the formation of the Dharma in the West, academic research into the effects of psilocybin on the brains of long term meditators, the current landscape of contemporary dharma teachers and practitioners who integrate psychedelic use into their dharma practice, how we might think about psychedelics in the context of addiction and recovery.

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