Entheogens, the Conscious Brain and Existential Reality

Entheogens, the Conscious Brain and Existential Reality: The purpose of this article is to provide a ‘state of the art’ research overview of what is currently known about how entheogens, including the classic psychedelics, affect the brain and transform conscious experience through their altered serotonin receptor dynamics, and to explore their implications for understanding the conscious brain and its relationship to existential reality, and their potential utility in our cultural maturation and understanding of the place of sentient life in the universe.

Part 1 contains the following sections: 1. Cultural and Historical Introduction; 2. The enigma of Subjective Consciousness; and 3. Fathoming the Mind-Brain Relationship and Experiential Modalities.

Part 2 contains the following sections: 4. Doors of Perception: Classic Psychedelics and Serotonin Receptor Agonists; 5. Doors of Dissociation: Ketamine and the NMDA Receptor Antagonists; 6. Salvinorin-A and κ-Opioid Dissociatives; and 7. Cannabinoids.

Part 3 contains the following sections: 8.Entactogens; 9.Doors of Delirium: Scopolamine and Muscarinic Acetyl-choline Antagonists; 10. Safety Considerations of Psychedelic Use; and 11. An Across-the-Spectrum Case Study.

Part 4 contains the following sections: 12.Why the Neurotransmitters: Cosmology and Evolution; 13.Conclusion; and 14.References.