Psychedelic Therapy and the Politics of Consciousness

Dr. Keith Witt Cognitive, Intrapersonal, Psychology, Spiritual, Video, Witt & Wisdom: Live with Dr. Keith 2 Comments


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In the recent 2022 midterm elections, Colorado joined the state of Oregon in its decriminalization of psychedelic substances for therapeutic use.

Here Dr. Keith and Corey explore some of the major implications of this profound legal shift, both in terms of our overall emotional, psychological, and spiritual health, as well as our rapidly evolving “politics of consciousness” — those states of consciousness that are sanctioned by the state, versus those that are not.

Watch as we take an in-depth look at the many growth opportunities being surfaced by these changing laws, and how integral concepts such as quadrants, states, and developmental stages help us better understand the effects these substances have on us, as well as the role they have played throughout history.


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Dr. Keith Witt

About Keith Witt

Dr. Keith Witt is a Licensed Psychologist, teacher, and author who has lived and worked in Santa Barbara, CA. for over forty years. Dr. Witt is also the founder of The School of Love.

Corey deVos

About Corey deVos

Corey W. deVos is Editor-in-Chief of Integral Life, as well as Managing Editor of KenWilber.com. He has worked for Integral Institute/Integal Life since Spring of 2003, and has been a student of integral theory and practice since 1996. Corey is also a professional woodworker, and many of his artworks can be found in his VisionLogix art gallery.

Notable Replies

  1. I think there is an important discussion to have here, because I see many trends in this discussion that I see in most other discussions on Integral matters.

    I’ll start from the end:
    Defining that only a Green perception of enlightenment is real - “If we are not experiencing it as a part of a mission to bring love into the world and light into the world - then there is something phony about it.”. This is a step beyond the content towards end of the preview (this is the first time I realize the content for the preview deviates from the content of the member’s audio). It’s not just saying that yes - have the peak experience but then do some kind of daily practice (of which meditation is just one of dozens, btw) - Keith goes beyond that and says you have to experience what he experiences or it is “phony”.

    It doesn’t have to be all either / or. Life is cyclical, why not “peak experiences”? The peak experience as an addict who is untrained in any spiritual practice will be one type of experience while a peak experienced after years of daily practice will be completely something else … or possibly the same. No promises, lol. There is a common phrase now - “levelling up”. Years of “sitting on a cushion meditating” may very well bring a whole new level of peak experiences. They may also not be all love and light.

    Now I’ll move to the beginning. Ah, Keith. I’d say this is where the nausea comes from, and why the “purge” happens. Just like we fart to get toxic gas out of our bowels, it’s also necessary to have a Mystical bowel movement to fart out our Egoic surpluss periodically or it just builds up and eventually causes a kind of spiritual cancer.

    One thing I’ve noted with Psychologists as a group is they categorically just want to take the parts they want from nature and ingore the rest. In trying to legislate psychedelics for licensed therapeutic use (only), Psychologists want to exclusively control what is fundamentally a spiritual experience and dissect it and limit it to be merely a psychological method. Of course I’ll hear vocal denials - but deep down we know that’s why Psychologists are bringing this legislation to the table. There is a part of me (the one who observes me) that is outraged by this. Yes - “Big Pharma is the Devil” I agree - and Psychiatrists are it’s High Priests. They talk the language of studies funded by corporate dollars and neurology and “find someone who has been trained” - leading to certifications and exclusive power structures. You both had life changing expeiences but now “I want to see the studies”, lol.

    Here’s the funny thing about Psychologists - most I’ve met are too stuck in their own paradigm and will never go beyond the “nausea”. Nausea and spins happen when the ego fights … what is there beyond the nausea and that which cannot be controlled or rationalilzed.

    We’ve had other discussions on other topice like AI that consciousness can’t be “studied” effectively by scientific methods. The second you try to put it into words, you are only able to re-frame what you once experienced from what it was into it’s opposite.

    Finally - about psychosis. It never ceases to humor me that Psychologists describe the symptoms of psychosis as essentially very similar to how I’d expect an enlightened being to be seen by the very Orange dominated field of psychology. So when a psychologist says psychedelics can cause psychotic episodes I wonder exactly what they mean, lol. Of course those who cannot see past this idiotic society we have would want to diagnose, lock up and forcibly medicate all who display the followign symptoms of psychosis / enlightenment:

    • Hear, see, or taste things others don’t.
    • Hang on to unusual beliefs or thoughts, no matter what others say. (anyone who doesn’t conform)
    • Pull away from family and friends. (aka drawing boundaries against enmeshing unhealthy relationships)
    • Stop taking care of yourself. (don’t seen the need to manscape or shave or cut their hair, for example)
    • Not be able to think clearly or pay attention.(maybe they can but just don’t see the point)

    I guess I should point out that I have interacted face to face with quite a few diagnosed psychotics on the floor of a psychiatric lockup facility. I don’t see them as any more or less dangerous than several other demographic groups with alternate views of reality. The elephant in the room in 2022 are conspiracy theorists completely ready to commit crimes - while many diagnosed psychotics were just not able to take care of themselves in what I would judge is a very sick culture.

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