Altered States A Priest, a Rabbi, and a Muslim Leader Get High
Sep 24, 2025
Join journalist Michael Pollan, who explores the intersection of psychedelics and spirituality, alongside Sugra Ahmed, a Muslim leader dedicated to integrating Islamic perspectives on psychedelics. They discuss how a groundbreaking study at Johns Hopkins examined psilocybin's impact on religious leaders, revealing profound mystical experiences and personal transformations. Sugra shares her initial hesitations about participation, while Pollan highlights the tensions between science and spirituality. Their insights illuminate the potential for psychedelics to foster genuine divine encounters and community building.
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Who Took Part In The Trial
- Researchers recruited 29 religious leaders, mostly Christian, plus rabbis, one Muslim, and one Buddhist.
- They targeted leaders with congregations and psychedelic naivety, partly to assess burnout relief.
The Dosing Sessions And Personal Encounters
- Participants took a pill, lay down with eye shades, and were accompanied by two guides through hours-long journeys.
- Sugra reported ingesting the medicine reverently and later encountering a divine presence she "simply knew."
Measuring Mystical Experiences
- The study used the Mystical Experience Questionnaire to operationalize mystical features like unity and timelessness.
- The questionnaire traces back to William James and the 1962 Good Friday experiment framework.