Ordinary Mind Zen School Psychedelics, No Self, and Zen.
May 18, 2025
A discussion of how psychedelics interact with brain systems like serotonin and the default mode network. Conversations about no-self experiences, unity states, and how intense meditative breakthroughs compare to drug-induced peaks. Warnings about legality, risks, and the challenge of integrating vivid experiences into everyday life and ethical practice.
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Psychedelics And Meditation Produce No-Self By Shutting Down The DMN
- Psychedelics and deep meditation both shut down the brain's default mode network, producing experiences of no-self.
- Geoff Dawson links serotonin-family psychedelics locking onto receptors with DMN going offline and the resultant sense of being 'nature' or 'cloud'.
DMN Shutdown Lets The Brain Reboot Habits
- Removing DMN rigidity allows the brain to form vast new interconnections and 'reboot' habitual perception.
- Dawson describes this as loosening over-controlled rumination, useful for depression, OCD, alcoholism, and anxiety.
Integrate No-Self Experiences Or They Inflate Ego
- Having a no-self experience isn't enough; without integration it often inflates the ego or becomes mere bragging.
- Geoff Dawson warns both psychedelic and meditation-induced experiences must be followed by ongoing practice to transform character.
