Psychedelics and Soul
Can Psychedelics help us lead rich and meaningful lives?
As a psychedelic researcher and therapist, Dr Nigel Strauss psychiatrist, has helped pioneer the current medicalisation of psychiatric substances in Australia for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. But he has also written extensively about the shadow side of this development. In this discussion, he will introduce the age old concept of soul as a counterbalance to the psychiatric model with its overemphasis on labelling, objectification, ego, self-improvement, and technical reasoning.
Where soul is a perspective not a thing or substance, caring for the soul (or the art of the soul) which derives from the work of Jung, Hillman and Moore, is rooted in depth psychology, mythology, art and spirituality. It encompasses the quality of being deeply engaged in life. Caring for the soul is therefore an attitude, a way of being, a process that never ends. And acceptance is key. To truly become aware of our souls we must accept that soul is not only about joy and light, but also conflicts and angst, problems and obstacles, which are all invariably part of the human experience.
Rather than forcefully trying to overcome such difficulties, soul work involves reflecting upon and deeply considering such challenges, which may then paradoxically result in a healing process of transformation. Not change that was necessarily planned but rather a mysterious movement to a new destination.
Soul work assumes that life is full of mystery that permeates our experiences of love, death, illness, culture, work, nature and home. It involves giving ordinary mundane life depth and value.
Can psychedelic substances help encourage the revelations of soul? Is soul work a suitable therapeutic narrative to be used in conjunction with psychedelics? Has contemporary culture lost its soul and connection to nature, a situation which may be remedied by psychedelic assisted soul making?
These questions will form the basis of this discussion.
Connect: nigelstrauss.com.au
