Entheogens, the Conscious Brain and Existential Reality: Part 1

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a ‘state of the art’ research overview of what is currently known about how entheogens, including the classic psychedelics, affect the brain and transform conscious experience through their altered serotonin receptor dynamics, and to explore their implications for understanding the conscious brain and its relationship to existential reality, and their potential utility in our cultural maturation and understanding of the place of sentient life in the universe.

Part 1 contains the following sections: 1. Cultural and Historical Introduction; 2. The enigma of Subjective Consciousness; and 3. Fathoming the Mind-Brain Relationship and Experiential Modalities.