What is it about?
This article explores “acid empiricism” as a philosophical framework for understanding psychedelic experience, particularly experiences induced by LSD. Drawing on traditions in empiricism, phenomenology, and philosophy of mind, the author examines how altered states of consciousness challenge conventional assumptions about perception, subjectivity, and the structure of experience itself.
Why is it important?
Psychedelic experiences are often described as epistemically unusual, raising questions about whether and how they can generate knowledge. By situating psychedelic states within a broader empiricist tradition, this article contributes to ongoing debates about the limits of ordinary experience, the status of first-person reports, and the philosophical significance of altered consciousness—topics that are increasingly relevant as psychedelic research re-enters scientific and cultural discourse.
What does the author argue?
The author argues that psychedelic experiences should not be dismissed as merely illusory or epistemically meaningless. Instead, under acid empiricism, such experiences are treated as genuine experiential data that can inform philosophical inquiry, even if they do not straightforwardly correspond to ordinary perceptual objects. The article suggests that taking psychedelic phenomenology seriously may expand empiricism itself, prompting a reconsideration of how experience contributes to knowledge and understanding.
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You can find the paper here.