The Psychedelics Manual: Metaphysics and the Search for Real Life
Providing a map to one of the most exciting emerging areas in contemporary thought, The Psychedelics Manual provides a comprehensive exploration of the why, how and when psychedelics can change lives. This menu of theories from the history of ideas, religious ideas, therapeutic potentials and cutting-edge science allows the reader to experience psychedelic theory from every possible angle. The book explores and illustrates metaphysical systems such as Physicalism (the view that everything is made of matter), Dualism (that mind and matter are separate substances), Idealism (that the world we perceive is projected by the mind), Neutral Monism (that mind and matter are both expressions of more fundamental stuff), Transcendentalism (that there is a type of existence beyond mind and matter), Panpsychism (that all entities have some form of consciousness), and Pantheism (that Nature is God). In addition to these metaphysical systems, the book also explores metaphysical phenomena such as time, space, qualia and causation.

In an attempt to underpin the experience of living in altered states from a philosophical, psychological and therapeutic point of view, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes provides a 'way in' to the language and theory of metaphysical experience. Ultimately, he argues that psychedelics give a person a new take on reality, a way of fathoming experience that can help make sense of human experience.

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The Psychedelics Manual: Metaphysics and the Search for Real Life
Providing a map to one of the most exciting emerging areas in contemporary thought, The Psychedelics Manual provides a comprehensive exploration of the why, how and when psychedelics can change lives. This menu of theories from the history of ideas, religious ideas, therapeutic potentials and cutting-edge science allows the reader to experience psychedelic theory from every possible angle. The book explores and illustrates metaphysical systems such as Physicalism (the view that everything is made of matter), Dualism (that mind and matter are separate substances), Idealism (that the world we perceive is projected by the mind), Neutral Monism (that mind and matter are both expressions of more fundamental stuff), Transcendentalism (that there is a type of existence beyond mind and matter), Panpsychism (that all entities have some form of consciousness), and Pantheism (that Nature is God). In addition to these metaphysical systems, the book also explores metaphysical phenomena such as time, space, qualia and causation.

In an attempt to underpin the experience of living in altered states from a philosophical, psychological and therapeutic point of view, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes provides a 'way in' to the language and theory of metaphysical experience. Ultimately, he argues that psychedelics give a person a new take on reality, a way of fathoming experience that can help make sense of human experience.

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The Psychedelics Manual: Metaphysics and the Search for Real Life

The Psychedelics Manual: Metaphysics and the Search for Real Life

by Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes
The Psychedelics Manual: Metaphysics and the Search for Real Life

The Psychedelics Manual: Metaphysics and the Search for Real Life

by Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes

Hardcover

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Overview

Providing a map to one of the most exciting emerging areas in contemporary thought, The Psychedelics Manual provides a comprehensive exploration of the why, how and when psychedelics can change lives. This menu of theories from the history of ideas, religious ideas, therapeutic potentials and cutting-edge science allows the reader to experience psychedelic theory from every possible angle. The book explores and illustrates metaphysical systems such as Physicalism (the view that everything is made of matter), Dualism (that mind and matter are separate substances), Idealism (that the world we perceive is projected by the mind), Neutral Monism (that mind and matter are both expressions of more fundamental stuff), Transcendentalism (that there is a type of existence beyond mind and matter), Panpsychism (that all entities have some form of consciousness), and Pantheism (that Nature is God). In addition to these metaphysical systems, the book also explores metaphysical phenomena such as time, space, qualia and causation.

In an attempt to underpin the experience of living in altered states from a philosophical, psychological and therapeutic point of view, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes provides a 'way in' to the language and theory of metaphysical experience. Ultimately, he argues that psychedelics give a person a new take on reality, a way of fathoming experience that can help make sense of human experience.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781350522763
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 07/23/2026
Pages: 240
Product dimensions: 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Exeter, UK. He is co-editor of Philosophy and Psychedelics (Bloomsbury, 2022) and Co-Director of Breaking Conventions, Europe's largest psychedelics conference.

Table of Contents

Introduction:
– What is Mind/Consciousness?
– What is the Mind-Matter Problem?
– Metaphysics of Mind (responding to that problem)
– How Psychedelics relate to Metaphysics

I: Physicalism
– Psychoneural Identity Theory
– Emergentism
– Epiphenomenalism

II: Idealism
– Subjective Idealism
– Monadic Idealism
– Transcendental Idealism
– Dialectical Idealism

III: Dualism
– Cartesian
– Bergsonian (cf. Huxley)
– Etc.

IV: Neutral Monism
– Spinozism
– Panpsychism
– Cosmopsychism

V: Transcendentalism
– Platonism
– Entities
– Hyperspace
– Moral Realism

VI: Theisms
– Pantheism
– Monotheism
– Polytheism
– Deism

VII: Psychedelic Metaphysical Integration

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