The fourth seminar in the Perth Altered States Series explores the relationships between psychedelic experiences and contemplative practices such as mindfulness meditation. The idea of a connection between psychedelic states and Eastern meditative practices has persisted since the early days of psychedelic science. Recent research has documented psychological and neural commonalities between psychedelic and meditative states, and synergistic interactions between psychedelic ingestion and meditative practice. Moreover, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies sometimes employ concepts (such as “psychological flexibility”) that have strong connections to contemplative practices.

The session will be led by Dr Chris Letheby and Tobias Penno, both of whom have conducted academic research into connections between psychedelics and contemplative practices. Letheby and Penno will present and explore philosophical, scientific, and clinical perspectives on the relationships between psychedelics and contemplative practices such as mindfulness.