Alan Watts Being in the Way

Ep. 7 – Drugs: Turning the Head or Turning On

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Oct 29, 2021
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ANECDOTE

Huxley's Mescaline Trip

  • Aldous Huxley, after taking mescaline, published The Doors of Perception.
  • He described the experience as a mystical revelation of unity with the universe.
ANECDOTE

Watts' First LSD Trip

  • Alan Watts initially dismissed Huxley's experience but later tried mescaline and LSD himself.
  • His first LSD experience was aesthetically interesting but not mystical, like seeing through a kaleidoscope.
INSIGHT

Dangers of Psychedelics

  • Psychedelic experiences can be dangerous in Western culture due to a lack of proper integration of mystical experiences.
  • People may misinterpret the unity experience as personal omnipotence, leading to delusions of grandeur.
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