Ontic Structural Realism, Buddhist Metaphysics, and the Self in Psychedelic Psychotherapy

This paper argues that ontic structural realism, a metaphysical view holding that relations are fundamental, can make sense of the psychedelic experience in a way consistent with naturalism while accounting for its spiritual and transformative aspects. Drawing on Western and Eastern sources, it introduces a notion of self-disidentification to frame varieties of self-transcendent experiences. It then applies Buddhist relationist ontology to show how the psychedelic experience can help rebuild one's identity into one defined by relationships to others and the natural world. The goal is to aid metaphysical integration of transformative mystical experiences in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

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Abstract

This paper examines recent empirical research on the psychedelic experience and makes sense of the current literature in terms of ontic structural realism, a position in the metaphysics of science which holds that relations are fundamental. This interpretation is maintained by first providing a philosophical framework for the varieties of self-transcendent experiences by implementing a notion of self-disidentification, drawing from western and eastern sources. Then, to account for the importance of the transformative mystical experience that can occur during a trip, this paper implements Buddhist relationist ontology by showing how the psychedelic experience facilitates the rebuilding of one’s identity into an identity that can be understood by relationships to others and the natural world. The aim of this paper is to implement these diverse strains of thought to make sense of the psychedelic experience in a way that is consistent with metaphysical naturalism by way of structural realism while adequately accounting for the spiritual components of transformative mystical experiences to aid in metaphysical integration of experiences in psychedelic-assisted therapeutic contexts.