Psychedelic Ego-Dissolution

Psychedelic experiences can involve extraordinary changes in self-experience. Taking a psychedelic substance such as LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline can supposedly even lead to what has become known as ‘ego-dissolution’ or ‘ego-death’.

These terms refer to a complete loss of the sense of self and self-consciousness. In this talk, professor in philosophy Dan Zahavi and post-doctoral fellow Jason K. Day will take a closer look at both different theories of self-consciousness and a variety of psychedelic experiences and discuss whether radical ego-dissolution is really possible.

This event is the first in the series Psychedelics, mindfulness and we relations: Can the self change?

In three talks, researchers affiliated with the Center for Subjectivity Research will discuss whether psychedelics, mindfulness, and togetherness can change the boundaries of the self and shape how we experience ourselves, others, and the world.