Review by Choice Review
Lyon (Leiden University and the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy) offers an accessible, philosophical account of psychedelic experience suggesting that it is the kind of mind-revealing event that can be had with or without the consumption of psychedelic drugs. Indeed, Lyon puts forward the thesis that meditation is a primary path to experiences of the mind where our usual access is blocked to the parts of our minds that are outside of awareness. The book explores the similarities between psychedelic experiences induced by drugs and meditation, where the former tends to be fast and temporary and the latter more gradual and enduring. For Lyon, this difference explains two approaches to how the mind uses attention: psychedelics offer a temporary increase in the mind's attentional resources while meditation increases the ability to use the resources more efficiently. In what is perhaps its most radical dimension, Lyon offers a framework for thinking about how the psychedelic experience itself can be of benefit to philosophical thinking more generally. In this incredibly timely book, new angles to the potential value of psychedelic experience are explored, which will be of immense interest to a wide audience including philosophers, neuroscientists, mental health specialists, and practitioners of diverse traditions such as yoga, Zen Buddhism, and Western mindfulness. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, practitioners, and general readers. --Michael Uebel, University of Texas
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
