Psychedelics and Human Potential

A guide to psychedelically facilitated personal growth and self-discovery

• Includes a brief history of the ancient roots of psychedelics, their rediscovery by the counterculture, and their contemporary use in treating trauma and mental illness

• Offers the “Human Promise” program blending spiritual and philosophical tools and practices with psychedelics for self-actualization

• Explores today’s regulatory environment, the role of AI, and the influence of the Information Age on psychedelic culture

Despite an unsettled legal landscape, psychedelics continue to become normalized in the United States and around the world. What medicinal properties do these substances possess, and how can they help us to grow as individuals and a culture?

Dr. Carlos Warter and mental health counselor Arthur Lawida explore these questions to offer a guide to psychedelics that blends history, contemporary context, and tools and practices to help readers realize self-actualization. The authors consider the history of psychedelics from North American peyote rituals to the ancient Greek Eleusinian Mysteries. They look at the counterculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic renaissance, exploring how the public perception of psychedelics has changed with an increasing acceptance of their therapeutic value. With the “Human Promise” program, the authors explore the concept of self-actualization and how psychedelics can be used in a transpersonal context for sustainable growth and self-discovery. They suggest tools and practices that can round out a program of self-development including Pilates, Feldenkrais work, neurofeedback systems, and virtual reality. Readers will also learn how AI and information technology are changing the psychedelic and human-development landscape.

This guide shows how responsible psychedelic use can help with deep healing, spiritual awakening, and social progress.