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A podcast examining religion’s underestimated and often misunderstood role in society.
Psychedelics, Spirituality, and a Culture of Seekership
The Harvard Religion Beat
24 minutes 47 seconds
3 years ago
Psychedelics, Spirituality, and a Culture of Seekership
Sixty years ago on Good Friday, a famous experiment took place at Boston University's Marsh Chapel conducted by Harvard Divinity School student Walter Pahnke, where he tried to answer the question: Do psychedelic drugs occasioned mystical experiences?
In 2022, conversations about the connections between psychedelics, science and medicine, and spirituality are again top of mind, from Harvard and the academy to research hospitals and beyond.
In this episode, Harvard Divinity School student Paul Gillis-Smith speaks to scholar J. Christian Greer about the impact of the “Marsh Chapel Miracle,” what role psychedelics might play in the future of religion, and why, he says, there’s potential for great harm, but reasons to be hopeful, too.
The Harvard Religion Beat
A podcast examining religion’s underestimated and often misunderstood role in society.