Exploring consciousness, metaphysics, and psychedelic insight through the lens of Spinietzschean thought.
In this mind-expanding episode of The Awaken Podcast, Natasja is joined by Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, philosopher of mind, metaphysician, and lecturer at the University of Exeter. Renowned for bridging ancient philosophical questions with modern psychedelic insight, Peter invites us into a layered inquiry on consciousness, altered states, and the mysteries embedded within nature itself.
From Spinoza to Nietzsche, Kant to panpsychism, this conversation travels through rich philosophical terrain—exploring how altered states may not only expand the mind, but also reframe our understanding of what mind is.
In this episode, we explore:
- What is consciousness—and is it embedded in or emergent from nature?
- How psychedelics challenge traditional views of the mind-body problem
- Can altered states give us access to otherwise hidden layers of reality?
- How metaphysical frameworks like panpsychism and pantheism influence the interpretation of psychedelic experiences
- Why plants, fungi—and perhaps even matter itself—may be conscious in ways we overlook
- The intersection of Spinietzschean philosophy and expanded states of awareness
- What philosophers like Kant might say about psychedelic experience
- The role of awe, sublimity, and moral insight beyond reason
- Key philosophical questions in psychedelic research that remain unexplored
This episode is a contemplative feast for psychonauts, scholars, and seekers alike—an invitation to see not just differently, but deeper.
📚 About Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes:
- Lecturer at the University of Exeter, Co-Founder of the Exeter Psychedelic Research Group
- Director & Trustee at Breaking Convention
- Author of Noumenautics, Modes of Sentience, and editor of
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