Psychedelics, Consciousness and the Humanities with Justin Smith-Ruiu and Noah Feldman

Psychoactive compounds have been imbued with religious or spiritual significance for thousands of years in indigenous cultures, and for half a century in the West. Now, ostensibly secular psychedelic medicine is soon to become a reality in the United States. How do these phenomena intersect? What is the significance of psychedelics for the humanities, religion, and society at large? And how do they relate to evolving understandings of consciousness — artificial, altered, or otherwise?
Professor Justin Smith-Ruiu is one of the world’s foremost thinkers on these subjects. His book On Drugs offers a philosophical analysis of altered states of consciousness as well as profound insights into his own religious-pharmaceutical journey. He will be joined by Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor Noah Feldman for what is sure to be a fascinating conversation.