Abstract

I present a philosophical analysis of the concept of a psychedelic experience. A central premise of the analysis is that such experiences can be had by means other than psychedelics. In particular, I argue that psychedelic experiences can also be had as the result of meditation. I then present a unified conceptual framework for thinking about the different kinds of psychedelic experiences one may have as a result of psychedelics, meditation, and their combination. This framework is then used to shed new light on various commonalities between psychedelics and meditation, such as the ability to promote long-lasting increases in mindfulness and their reputation for inducing mystical experiences.