Psychedelics Revisioned: The Cultural Politics of Consciousness

Catalog description

This course investigates the social, cultural, economic, and political contexts of the contemporary status of psychedelics in the West. Charting a critically oriented path between fear and ignorance on one hand,and unbridled enthusiasm on the other, this course studies issues related to psychedelics from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (History, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Psychology, Religion and Philosophy) raising substantive questions concerning the place of psychedelics specifically in contemporary America, also in the world more broadly. This course is designed to critically engage and broaden the horizons of understanding of the history, present day practices, and future potential of psychedelics.