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Ogren, Brian Parsons, Bill Kripal, Jeffrey Storck, Connor J. 2021-05-03T22:02:27Z 2021-05-03T22:02:27Z 2021-05 2021-04-26 May 2021 2021-05-03T22:02:27Z Storck, Connor J.. "Psychedelics and Religious Insight: A Precedent in American Psycho-Spirituality from William James to Timothy Leary." (2021) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/110459 https://hdl.handle.net/1911/110459 The primary purpose of this thesis is to stress that there is a relationship between the texts one reads and the psychedelic experiences one may have. Reading texts has an effect on set and setting with respect to psychedelic experiences. Further, texts read—by figures like Timothy Leary—in the afterglow of a psychedelic experience can influence later integration of said experiences into one’s worldview. This thesis tracks this through the influence of mind-altering substances in the works of both William James (1842-1910) and Timothy Leary (1920-1996) in order to display James’ influence on Leary. James’ impact of Leary intellectually is critical because recent scholarship and changes in cultural and societal perspectives have led to a Psychedelic Renaissance in many disciplines from the clinical-therapeutic to the religious-spiritual. The paper covers select and relevant historical information relating to periods of the Anesthetic Revolution and the Long Sixties. I show how James came to experiment with various mind-altering substances and the results of those experiments. For this reason, the thesis also interacts with Benjamin Paul Blood, a figure whose work guided James’ thought towards the use of mind-altering substances. These mind-altering substances include nitrous oxide, diethyl ether, alcohol, chloroform, and peyote. I apply Leary’s theory of set and setting to better understand James’ Hegelian insights while on nitrous oxide. The thesis explicitly shows how James’ mystical hallmarks of noetic quality and ineffability were influential in Leary’s early psychedelic research. Further, I argue for the thesis that James set a precedent for the use of mind-altering substances for religio-mystical insight that was later expanded upon and entrusted to the masses in the form of Leary’s psychedelic projects. Evidence suggests that these theorists used psychedelics for insights akin to an anagogic interpretation of various works from Hegel to the Tao Te Ching. The conclusion of this thesis briefly ties in contemporary examples and suggests these trends will continue today in the wake of the current Psychedelic Renaissance. application/pdf eng Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder. William James Psychedelics Peyote Nitrous Oxide Hegel Psychology Religion Mysticism 1960s Timothy Leary Poetry Hegel Aldous Huxley LSD-25 Magic Mushrooms American Studies Spiritual But Not Religious Entheogens Psychedelic Renaissance Bardo Thodol Benjamin Paul Blood Allen Ginsberg Ram Dass Gerald Heard Huston Smith Harvard The War on Drugs Richard Nixon New Age American Spirituality Tao Te Ching Richard Alpert Psychedelics and Religious Insight: A Precedent in American Psycho-Spirituality from William James to Timothy Leary Thesis Text Religious Studies Humanities Rice University Masters Master of Arts open.access