Is There Something Modernity Refuses to See? | Justin Smith-Ruiu

About this episode

Philosopher Justin Smith-Ruiu discusses the implications of psychedelics on consciousness and modern philosophy.

Philosopher Justin Smith-Ruiu joins me for a deep conversation on Metaphysics, Consciousness, Philosophy of Science, Anthropology of Mind. Psychedelics, Ritual, Religion, Phenomenology, and the limits of modern materialism, centered around his new book ON DRUGS. Drawing on thinkers like Plato, Heidegger, Husserl, Descartes, Leibniz, Huxley, McKenna, and Claude Lévi-Strauss, Smith explores whether psychedelic experiences merely distort reality or instead reveal hidden dimensions of consciousness that modern Western philosophy has trained us to suppress. We discuss qualia, synesthesia, dreams, analogy versus truth, and the strange inadequacy of language when attempting to describe altered states. Along the way we explore object-oriented ontology, mysticism, the “excluded middle,” and why psychedelic experience often feels more real than ordinary waking life.The conversation moves far beyond the usual clichés about mushrooms and self-help. We discuss Aldous Huxley, R.C. Zaehner, Gordon Wasson, shamanism, cave paintings, ritual dance, Scythian burial mounds, Norse berserkers, Aztec peyote ceremonies, and the long human history of using drugs not merely for pleasure but for…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Shapiro

Guest: Justin Smith-Ruiu

Topics covered

• Metaphysics
• Consciousness
• Philosophy of Science
• Anthropology of Mind
• Psychedelics
• Ritual
• Religion

Keywords

• psychedelics
• consciousness
• metaphysics
• philosophy
• ritual
• materialism
• qualia
• synesthesia
• altered states

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: ON DRUGS

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