Footnotes2Plato

“The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.”
–Alfred North Whitehead

Tag: Psychedelics

  • The Word in Every Tongue: From Crusade to Conversation in the Movement of Christianity Beyond Itself 

    I sat down with Jacob Kishere for another conversation as part of his Christianity Beyond Itself series. Our first conversation was over a year ago: you can listen to it at this link. This series, in his words, is an attempt to name the conversation that is trying to happen around the return, transformation, and transfiguration of Christian…

  • “Psychedelic Realism”: My presentation at Breaking Convention

    Below is an audio version and edited transcript of my talk at Breaking Convention last week, hosted by the University of Exeter. Video should be available in the coming weeks.  Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes (Introduction) It is my pleasure to introduce our next speaker, all the way from California: Dr. Matthew David Segall. Matt is an Associate…

  • Experiential Philosophy, Psychedelic Entities, and Naturalistic Reincarnation: Cheltenham and UK Philosophers Interview

    I recorded this dialogue with Matthew Gray of the Cheltenham and UK Philosophers group a few days ago. A transcript is below. Introduction and Matt Segall’s Credentials Matt Gray: “Hey guys, it’s Matt Gray from Chelam UK Philosophers here, um, just had a fantastic conversation with Matt Segall, the renowned process philosopher, um, he’s a well-decorated,…

  • Paradigm Shifts, Human Experience, Panpsychism, and Psychedelics (dialoguing with Jack Roycroft-Sherry)

    Jack and I discussed a number of topics, beginning with how science and philosophy might be demarcated. I suggest that science, born from natural philosophy, relies on metaphysical presuppositions and requires philosophical foundations to justify its knowledge claims. Philosophy seeks the general and universal, while science specializes in isolated regions of inquiry. Both are valuable…

  • Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A dialogue with Evan Sola, PsyD and Casey Paleos, MD

    A clinical psychologist and psychiatrist involved in MAPS’ phase 3 MDMA trials weigh in on the ethical and ontological challenges of psychedelic psychotherapy. Here is a rough transcript of this conversation. Evan and Casey both have chapters in a soon to be published American Psychological Association textbook on psychedelic therapy, which formed the basis of…

  • Schelling on Myth and Revelation

    I’m sharing a rough transcript below of a question I framed for a doctoral student during a presentation yesterday. The student is approaching Schelling’s philosophy as a novel means of interpreting psychedelic experience.  You point out, with Schelling, that consciousness cannot self-ground. Reflective self-consciousness, let’s say, cannot ground itself. This is because, as Schelling points…

  • The Metaphysics of Psychedelics (thoughts on Chris Letheby’s new article)

    Here is a fantastic new publication on psychedelics by Chris Letheby: “Psychedelics: Recent Philosophical Discussions.”It will appear in T. Schramme and M. Walker (eds.), Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine (Springer, forthcoming).  The whole paper is worth a close read, as it provides a digestible summary of the major philosophical questions that have arisen during the last couple…

  • “Psyche Unbound: Essays in Honor of Stanislav Grof” [Review]

    “Psyche Unbound: Essays in Honor of Stanislav Grof” [Review]

    Tarnas, Richard, & Kelly, Sean (Eds.). (2021). Psyche Unbound: Essays in Honor of Stanislav Grof. Foreword by Rick Doblin. Sante Fe, NM: Synergetic Press & the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. xxvi + 428 pp. ISBN: 9780998276526. Hardcover. $35. Reviewed by Matthew D. Segall. It was 1973 when Dr. Stanislav Grof left what was then the last surviving…

  • Psychedelics, Society, and Reality

    That tweet came after I listened to several episodes of the recent NYMag/Psymposia podcast series “Power Trip.” Having now finished the series and shared a mixed review, I wanted to collect further thoughts on the subject. The NYMag/Psymposia series focuses on the dangers of both underground and clinically regulated psychedelic psychotherapy. The basic criticisms being…

  • Psychedelics Today podcast on Consciousness, Capitalism, and Philosophy

    I had a great conversation with Joe Moore of Psychedelics Today a couple months back, and the podcast was just released today. Have a listen. In this episode, Joe interviews philosopher, author, and assistant professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco: Matthew D. Segall, Ph.D.…

  • Alchemical Consciousness After Descartes: Whitehead’s Philosophy of Organism as Psychedelic Realism

    Alchemical Consciousness After Descartes: Whitehead’s Philosophy of Organism as Psychedelic Realism

    The following is an essay originally submitted for publication in a book on philosophy and psychedelics. After some feedback from the editors, I realized it is too long and includes too many (I hope interesting!) digressions. I’ll be thoroughly revising my submission for the book, so I figured I’d share this earlier version here. Feedback…

  • Integral Entheogens (Ep. 5) – Molecular Alchemy and the Evolution of Spirit

    Integral Entheogens (Ep. 5) – Molecular Alchemy and the Evolution of Spirit

    Thanks to Bruce Alderman and The Integral Stage for putting this together! In Episode 5, Matthew Segall discusses how entheogens or “ecodelics” have impacted him personally and philosophically, inspiring some of his deepest ontological insights and courses of inquiry — particularly in the areas of panpsychism, deep or integral pluralism, and process thought. He then…

  • The Place of Psychedelic Chemistry/Alchemical Consciousness in Philosophy

    The Place of Psychedelic Chemistry/Alchemical Consciousness in Philosophy

    Transcript: I wanted to see if you guys might help me think through Aldous Huxley’s psychedelic phenomenology, because I’m writing about it, preparing a draft of what will become a chapter in an anthology on the philosophy of psychedelics. I’m also writing about Descartes’ famous Meditations on First Philosophy and interpreting his experience as a…

  • The Side View podcast

    The Side View podcast

    Adam Robbert interviewed me over on The Side View Podcast. Check it out HERE. We discussed speculative philosophy, panpsychism, politics, and more.

  • “Psychedelics Today” podcast

    “Psychedelics Today” podcast

    Give a listen to my conversation with Kyle and Joe on their podcast Psychedelics Today. We discussed the intersection of philosophy and psychedelics.

  • Erowid’s Psychedelic Encyclopedia at CIIS

    Erowid’s Psychedelic Encyclopedia at CIIS

    This conversation with Earth and Fire Erowid (of erowid.org) at CIIS back in January was supposed to be recorded for a podcast, but alas, due to technical difficulties, the sound crew was unable to record it. Lo and behold, I just came across this video of the event, taken by someone in the audience. Thanks, whoever…

  • A conversation with the founders of Erowid.org in January 2017

    A conversation with the founders of Erowid.org in January 2017

    I’ll be in conversation with Earth and Fire, the founders of Erowid.org, on Jan. 26th, 2017 at 7pm at CIIS in San Francisco, CA. If you’re not local, there will be a podcast version posted shortly thereafter. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

  • A talk on Ecodelic Philosophy at the Symbiosis Gathering

    A talk on Ecodelic Philosophy at the Symbiosis Gathering

    I’m headed back to the Symbiosis Gathering later this year. I’ll be offering a talk on the role of psychedelics–or “ecodelics” as author Richard Doyle refers to them–and the philosophical insights they engender that may be of service to steering through our planetary crisis. When ingested in carefully crafted ceremonial containers, ecodelics reveal the deeper connections and interpenetration of…

  • Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies & Research at CIIS

    California Institute of Integral Studies is launching a new certificate program in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies and Research. Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies and Research – Information and Application. The Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research Certificate serves a growing need for the training of skilled therapist researchers who will ideally seek advanced training for future FDA approved psychedelic-assisted and…

  • ERIE Talk: The Extended Mind Thesis and the Ecologization of Consciousness

    A talk I gave for ERIE at CIIS a few months ago building on (an admittedly loose interpretation of) Andy Clark’s extended mind thesis and Richard Doyle’s ideas about the role of psychedelics in human evolution:

  • An interview with Jesse Turri at Home Brewed Christianity on Science, Religion, Imagination, and more…

    HERE is the interview. I haven’t listened to it yet, but I remember a wide-ranging conversation on everything from my own intellectual and spiritual development, to the relationship between science and religion, to the role of imagination and psychedelics in the philosophy of nature. HERE is Jesse Turri’s personal website.