Redressing a Straw Man: Correcting Critical Misunderstandings of Aldous Huxley’s Perennial Philosophy

The essay defends the Huxley/Osmond theory that psychedelic drugs can trigger a cross-cultural mystical experience of unity with ultimate reality, countering Constructivist critics who claim the Perennial Philosophy is obsolete. It refutes three specific charges against Aldous Huxley: that he saw his view as religion's core, that he claimed universally shared beliefs, and that his position requires pure consciousness. The essay shows these criticisms misrepresent Huxley and most Perennial Philosophy variants, which form a family of theories like Existentialism. It concludes by proposing new directions for testing the Huxley/Osmond hypothesis, including with psychedelics.

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Abstract

This essay reinvigorates the Huxley/Osmond theory that psychedelic drugs can occasion a cross-cultural mystical experience characterized by a sense of “unity with ultimate reality.” It offers a long-overdue rejoinder to the position of Constructivist authors such as Steven T. Katz, Hans Penner, and Stephen Prothero that Aldous Huxley’s Perennial Philosophy is a defunct position. Specifically, the essay answers three erroneous charges: (1) that Huxley posited his viewpoint as the “core” or “essence” of religion, (2) that Huxley believed he was describing a set of universally shared religious beliefs, and (3) that Huxley’s position depends on a belief in—and the possibility of—a state of “pure consciousness.” In all cases, these charges will be shown to be erroneous. Moreover, it will also be argued that these claims are inaccurate for most forms of the Perennial Philosophy, and that the Perennial Philosophy is not a homogenous viewpoint, but rather a family of theories as are Existentialism, Postmodernism, and Idealism. The essay ends with a look at new directions for testing the Huxley/Osmond position, including with psychedelic drugs.