WR 020 : Are Psychedelics a Gateway Drug To Spirituality? - with Dr. Douglas Osto

In this interview of Warrior Radio, I sit down with Dr. Douglas Osto who is the Programme Coordinator of Asian Studies and Senior Lecturer of the Philosophy Programme at Massey University in New Zealand. He’s also the author of Altered States: Buddhism and Psychedelic Spirituality in America, which we spend the majority of this interview discussing.

In 1960s America, both the psychedelic and Buddhist meditation movements began to converge, giving birth to two different groups. On one camp were strict Buddhists who eventually abandoned renounced psychedelics, believing it went against certain Buddhist morals. On another camp a new strand of practitioners who Eric Davis coined Psychedelic Buddhists.

We discuss this strand of Buddhism and how individuals are starting to combine plant medicines to advance their spiritual practice in a healthy, balanced manner.

What You’ll Learn:

The story behind writing Altered States: Buddhism and Psychedelic Spirituality in America
The Buddhist revolution, Psychedelics revolution, and their convergence in 1960’s America
How Buddhism influenced Psychedelics, and Psychedelics influenced Buddhism in the 60s, 70s
Doug’s thoughts on the current psychedelic renaissance
The 5 precepts of Buddhism (which includes abstaining from intoxicants)
Why psychedelics become a gateway drug towards spiritual practices
How ‘Psychedelic Buddhists’ use psychoactive substances in a balanced manner to aid in their spiritual practice
A Hindu Indian philosophy called Samkhya and how it can help us to peel back the layers of our mind
How Samkhya philosophy can help you get through fearful psychedelic experiences