Psychedelics and Consciousness: Distinctions, Demarcations, and Opportunities

Abstract Psychedelic substances produce unusual and compelling changes in conscious experience that have prompted some to propose that psychedelics may provide unique insights explaining the nature of consciousness. At present, psychedelics, like other current scientific tools and methods, seem unli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology 2021-08, Vol.24 (8), p.615-623
Main Authors: Yaden, David B, Johnson, Matthew W, Griffiths, Roland R, Doss, Manoj K, Garcia-Romeu, Albert, Nayak, Sandeep, Gukasyan, Natalie, Mathur, Brian N, Barrett, Frederick S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brain - drug effects
Brain - physiology
Brain research
Complications and side effects
Consciousness - drug effects
Hallucinogenic drugs
Hallucinogens - pharmacology
Humans
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Summary:Abstract Psychedelic substances produce unusual and compelling changes in conscious experience that have prompted some to propose that psychedelics may provide unique insights explaining the nature of consciousness. At present, psychedelics, like other current scientific tools and methods, seem unlikely to provide information relevant to the so-called “hard problem of consciousness,” which involves explaining how first-person experience can emerge. However, psychedelics bear on multiple “easy problems of consciousness,” which involve relations between subjectivity, brain function, and behavior. In this review, we discuss common meanings of the term “consciousness” when used with regard to psychedelics and consider some models of the effects of psychedelics on the brain that have also been associated with explanatory claims about consciousness. We conclude by calling for epistemic humility regarding the potential for psychedelic research to aid in explaining the hard problem of consciousness while pointing to ways in which psychedelics may advance the study of many specific aspects of consciousness.
ISSN:1461-1457
1469-5111
DOI:10.1093/ijnp/pyab026