Stay Sober, Stay Alert: A Christian Guide to Mysticism & Psychedelics

About this episode

The episode discusses the spiritual implications of psychedelics from a Christian perspective, featuring a conversation with Gary Stockton about his thesis on mysticism and biblical teachings.

Is the psychedelic renaissance a spiritual threat — or just medicine? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric , host Robert Bortins sits down with Gary Stockton, a Classical Conversations Challenge IV graduate, to discuss his senior thesis: Stay Sober, Stay Alert: A Christian Guide to Mysticism. Gary's 32-source academic argument — drawing from Johns Hopkins research, C.S. Lewis, Voddie Baucham, and Hebrew and Greek primary sources — makes the biblical case that Christians should reject the spiritual experiences offered by psychedelic-assisted therapy. From the ancient cult of Asclepius and pharmakia to Margaret Sanger, Nazi eugenics, and the modern therapeutic boom, Gary traces a chilling historical thread connecting serpentine deities, manufactured spiritual states, and demonic deception across cultures and centuries. Robert and producer Chris Blackburn join Gary to explore what Scripture actually says about mysticism, what Galatians 5 and Deuteronomy 18 reveal about pharmakia, and why the very "benefits" of psychedelic therapy may be part of a much darker bait-and-hook. If you've heard about Joe Rogan's advocacy for psychedelic therapy, Trump's executive order on psychedelics for…

People in this episode

Host: Robert Bortins

Guest: Gary Stockton

Topics covered

• Christianity
• Psychedelics
• Mysticism
• Spirituality
• Biblical Framework
• Therapeutic Practices

Keywords

• psychedelic therapy
• Christian mysticism
• spiritual experiences
• pharmakia
• historical context
• C.S. Lewis
• Voddie Baucham
• Joe Rogan
• Classical Conversations

Sponsors

Classical Conversations

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Stay Sober, Stay Alert: A Christian Guide to Mysticism, Galatians 5, Deuteronomy 18

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