Terence McKenna, Psychedelics, and the Philosophy of Knowledge

About this episode

Dennis McKenna and Mandi Astola discuss Terence McKenna, psychedelics, and the philosophy of knowledge.

In this rich and thought-provoking conversation, Dennis McKenna speaks with philosopher Mandi Astola about Terence McKenna, psychedelics, epistemology, shamanism, and the nature of knowledge. Together they explore how psychedelic experiences can produce both genuine insight and dangerous overconfidence, why intellectual humility matters, and how science and shamanic ways of knowing can complement each other. The discussion also touches on the “Stoned Ape” theory, the Timewave, the trickster archetype, and the role of psychedelics as tools for understanding reality, consciousness, and human evolution. A fascinating dialogue for anyone interested in philosophy, altered states, ethics, and the limits of what we know. - - - Mandi Astola is a philosopher specializing in epistemology, ethics and ethics of technology. She is assistant professor at Delft University of Technology's philosophy section. In particular, Mandi's work focuses on character and what features of character make someone a good person, or a good thinker. She is also part of a project, involving multiple universities, that investigates the contribution that various disciplines in the arts can make to ethical…

People in this episode

Host: Dennis McKenna

Guest: Mandi Astola

Topics covered

• psychedelics
• epistemology
• shamanism
• philosophy of knowledge
• intellectual humility
• human evolution

Keywords

• psychedelics
• epistemology
• shamanism
• intellectual humility
• Stoned Ape theory
• Timewave
• trickster archetype
• consciousness
• human evolution

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Stoned Ape theory, Timewave

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