Exploring implications for sustainable futures through comparison of two entheogen-induced spiritualities: imaginaries conceived in psychedelic Buddhism in San Francisco, United States and techno trance neo-shamanism in Goa, India

Abstract

In light of the limitations on the imagination imposed by the collective human mind during the Anthropocene, a change in consciousness could help us envision new ecological imaginaries. This research is centered on two modern and Western case studies on psychedelic Buddhism in California, United States and techno trance neo-shamanism in Goa, India where entheogens, a term for hallucinogens used in a spiritual context, are a key part of the spiritual experience. The question underscoring this research is whether these experiences could potentially offer a pathway to new visions for sustainable futures. Experiences informed by entheogens, or at least altered states of consciousness, hold a great potential to help make connections between cultures, ideas, people and environments in a way that is potentially more broadly accessible. They are also known to amplify the details in nature, and Buddhism and Hinduism offer Westerners different interpretations of the world around them. However, the research finds that the entheogens are not a straightforward solution to the challenge presented by the climate crisis. In the entangled contexts presented by case studies, where these recent cultural phenomena are aided by globalization, concepts from environmental humanities are used to help understand what we can glean from these examples to creatively uncover the mysteries of our past, be present in the current moment with all living and non-living beings, and imagine a thriving future.