Mysticism and psychedelics: The case of the dark night
Journal of Religion and Health January 1, 1991 Christopher M. Bache 6 citations
A model of consciousness derived from LSD-assisted psychotherapy illuminates painful experiences on the mystic's path known as the 'dark night.' The dark night experiences described in John of the Cross's Dark Night of the Soul can be conceptualized as Stanislav Grof's 'perinatal experience.' This reconceptualization has implications for understanding and evaluating mysticism, assessing LSD's potential for fostering genuine spirituality, and reassessing the ancient claim that the capacity for transcendental states is innate.