New Reading Group Launch: “Psychedelics and Aesthetics” at CSWR

Poster for the Psychedelics and Aesthetics reading group.

This academic year, I’ll be leading a bi-weekly reading group at the Center for the Study of World Religions, exploring the complex relationship between psychedelic experiences, aesthetics, and ethics.

Titled Psychedelics and Aesthetics, the group will meet every other Wednesday from 3–5 PM, beginning September 11, 2024, in the CSWR Conference Room. We'll examine how varied states of mind and body shape perception, creativity, and taste, and how aesthetic dimensions of psychedelic experience inform ethical frameworks and cultural meaning-making.

Discussions will draw from clinical, underground, indigenous, and experimental contexts, pairing readings with works of art, film, and media. Sessions may include visits to exhibitions, and conversations with guest artists and scholars. Sessions will align with the Psychedelics and the Future of Religion series.

Meeting Dates: 9/11, 9/18, 10/2, 10/16, 10/30, 11/13, 12/11, 2/5, 2/19, 3/5, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, 4/30
Location: CSWR Conference Room
Registration required: https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/research-programming/transcendence-transformation/reading-groups

All are welcome. No prior experience with psychedelics or aesthetics necessary.