The psychedelic future of the mind : how entheogens are enhancing cognition, boosting intelligence, and raising values

Description

Explores scientific and medical research on the emerging uses of psychedelics to enrich mind, morals, spirituality, and creativity • Outlines a future that embraces psychedelics as tools for cognitive development, personal growth, business, and an experience-based religious reformation • Presents research on the use of psychedelics to enhance problem-solving, increase motivation, boost the immune system, and deepen ethical values • Includes chapters by Roger N. Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., and Charles Grob, M.D., on their psychedelic research on religious experience and alleviating the fear of death As psychedelic psychotherapy gains recognition through research at universities and medical establishments such as the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and Bellevue Hospital, the other beneficial uses of psychedelics are beginning to be recognized and researched as well--from enhancing problem-solving and increasing motivation to boosting the immune system and deepening moral and ethical values. Exploring the bright future of psychedelics, Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D., reveals how new uses for entheogens will enrich individuals as well as society as a whole. With contributions from Charles Grob, M.D., and Roger N. Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., the book explains how psychedelics can raise individual and business attitudes away from self-centeredness, improve daily life with strengthened feelings of meaningfulness and spirituality, and help us understand and redesign the human mind, leading to the possibility of a neurosingularity--a time when future brains surpass our current ones. Roberts envisions a future where you will seek psychedelic therapy not only for psychological reasons but also for personal growth, creative problem solving, improved brain function, and heightened spiritual awareness. Our psychedelic future is on the horizon--a future that harnesses the full potential of mind and spirit--and Thomas Roberts outlines a path to reach it. Contents Cover Image Title Page Dedication Epigraph A Note to Readers Introduction: A Short Trail Guide to This Book PART 1: THE EXPERIENCE THAT ALTERS ALL OTHERS PART 2: HIGH-YIELD IDEAS PART 3: FROM LAB TO LIFE, FROM CLINIC TO CAMPUS Part 1: The Experience That Alters All Others Chapter 1: Our Psychedelic Future WHY NOW? WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Chapter 2: Humanity’s Taproot MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES POTT MUSIC—THE NINE INGREDIENTS OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES LINKED QUESTIONS SUMMARY Chapter 3: Raising Values THE ROOT OF VALUE PROBLEMS OSTENTATION NATION VALUE SHIFTS FROM NONPSYCHEDELIC MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES VALUE SHIFTS FROM PSYCHEDELIC-BASED MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES SUMMARY Chapter 4: The New Religious Era FROM RITUAL TO WORD TO EXPERIENCE MYSTICISM AS THE CORE OF RELIGION CONTRIBUTIONS TO RELIGION FROM PSYCHEDELIC ENTHEOGENS CONCLUSION Chapter 5: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences—What Is the Relationship? by Roger N. Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., D.H.L. ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE VALIDITY OF DRUG-INDUCED RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK LONG-TERM EFFECTS AND STABILIZATION CONCLUSION Chapter 6: Do Psychedelic-induced Mystical ExperiencesBoost the Immune System? THE PEAK-EXPERIENCE VARIABLE A HELPFUL INDICATOR: SALIVARY IMMUNOGLOBULIN A IMPACTS OF MINDBODY PSYCHOTECHNOLOGIES COMPARING MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE AND CASES OF SPONTANEOUS REMISSION SUMMARY—TAKING UP UNFINISHED WORK Chapter 7: Psychedelic Psychotherapy Near the End of life by Charles S. Grob, M.D., and Alicia L. Danforth PSYCHEDELIC PSYCHOTHERAPY THE HARBOR-UCLA MEDICAL CENTER STUDY CONCLUSION LINKS TO RELATED VIDEOS AND WEBSITES Part 2: High-Yield Ideas—Multistate Theory and the Fruitful Mind Chapter 8: Multistate Theory—Apps Are to Devices as Mindbody States Are to Minds BEYOND THE SINGLESTATE FALLACY MINDBODY STATE—THE PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY OF INNER STATES PSYCHOTECHNOLOGIES—AGENTS OF TRANSFORMATION RESIDENCE WIDER THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS DESIGNING AND INVENTING NEW COGNITIVE PROCESSES SUMMARY Chapter 9: Enhancing Cognition, Boosting Intelligence, Expanding Cognitive Studies COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT IMPROVING INTELLIGENCE ENRICHING COGNITIVE STUDIES SUMMARY Chapter 10: New Intellectual Endeavors THE GREAT FLOW OF MULTISTATE IDEAS AMUSES-TÊTES SUMMARY Chapter 11: It’s a Perinatal World—Hitler and War, Sartre and Mescaline, Snow White and Fight Club THE PERINATAL LEVEL THE FOUR BASIC PERINATAL MATRICES PERINATAL ANALYSIS FOUR-LEVEL GROFIAN ANALYSIS THE MIND EXPLORER AS HERO SUMMARY Chapter 12: The Neurosingularity Project—When Bigger Heads and Better Brains Surpass Our Current Ones NEUROSCIENCE LEADS GENETIC LEADS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY—TRANSGENIC INVENTION AMPLIFYING INTELLIGENCE FROM INSIGHT TO INTERVENTION TO INVENTION ARE WE ALL HIDDEN SAVANTS? SUMMARY—MIND DESIGN Part 3: From Lab to Life, From Clinic to Campus Chapter 13: Reaching the Unreachable Public While Raising $1+ Billion for Psychedelic R & D via Crowdfunding—A Biz-fi Speculation Chapter 14: It Means Something Different to Be Well Educated HOW DOES EDUCATION CHANGE FROM MINDBODY STATE TO MINDBODY STATE? CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS THE SAD FATE OF HUMANISTIC EDUCATION EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC POLICY, WONDER, AND AWEA METHOD FOR INVENTING PARADIGMS MULTISTATE PROJECTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION SUMMARY Chapter 15: You Teach What? Where? HINTS TO PROFS CLASS NOTES HIGHER HIGHER EDUCATION PSYCHEDELIC COURSE DEVELOPMENT PRIZE AWARDS SUMMARY Conclusion: Hopes Appendix: Community Psychedelic Centers International, Inc.—Notes for a Prospectus Footnotes References About the Author About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company Books of Related Interest Copyright & Permission