Psychedelics: Neuroscience and Cultural Ethics
| Module title | Psychedelics: Neuroscience and Cultural Ethics |
|---|---|
| Module code | PSYM236Z |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Celia Morgan (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | Runs T1 or T2 | Runs T1 or T2 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
You will be introduced to the innumerable recent neuroscientific studies tracing the myriad effects that psychedelic substances have upon the brain thereby informing potential therapeutic use as well as providing glimpses into the relations between brain and consciousness. Science does not operate in isolation, but rather within a global network of cultures and peoples, the interaction of which brings up ethical issues relating to psychedelic use. You will gain an enlarged comprehension of such issues by studying the ethics of decolonization, laws, patents, ecology, feminism, notions of cognitive liberty, stigma, nihilism, alienation, and meaning amongst other pressing ethical issues pertaining to the present psychedelic renewal.
This is an online course, with asynchronous and synchronous (live) activities. It is an academic rather than practical qualification. Pre-requisites include a 2:1 or above in any discipline.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is, first, to introduce students to the neuroscience and its associated sciences of pharmacology, chemistry, neurophenomenology, etc., of psychedelic substances. It is intended that students will gain a comprehensive overview of such fields as they apply to the lab and clinic vis-à-vis psychedelic studies. Beyond the lab and clinic, there lies society, culture, and the global state of affairs. Students are also intended to gain a broad understanding of the ethical issues related to culture in order to be able to demonstrate critical cultural awareness.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge of the neuroscience and pharmacology of psychedelics, and ethical and cultural issues affecting the field.
- 2. Skills: Synthesis and integration of transdisciplinary perspectives.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Critical evaluation of evidence and practice in the psychedelic field.
- 4. Subjective enquiry and awareness using techniques such as microphenomenology.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Critical evaluation of evidence and practice in the psychedelic field.
- 6. Subjective enquiry and awareness using techniques such as microphenomenology.
Syllabus plan
MODULE 2: Psychedelics: Neuroscience, Culture and Ethics
- Psychopharmacology: Overview and Psychedelic Application
- Neuroscience: Overview and Psychedelic Application
- Neurophenomenology of Psychedelics
- Filtration Theories: Thalamic Gating Theory, REBUS, Predictive Processing
- Neuroethics of Psychedelia
- Medicalization Critique of Psychedelic Therapy
- Ecological Ethics of Psychedelic Use
- Gender and Decolonization and in Psychedelic Studies
- Nihilism, Alienation, and Psychedelics
- Law: Cognitive Liberty, Patents, and Prohibition
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 200 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 10 | Recorded lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 20 | Knowledge quizzes, preparation, and reflection |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 70 | Research-led learning content (comprising text and other media, plus links to resources and activities) |
| Guided independent study | 200 | Video, interactive content, and reading and research linked to lectures and assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Responses to Big Questions | 30 minutes | All | Spoken and/or written feedback. feedback |
| Knowledge quizzes | Appx. 30 minutes | All | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-Visual Presentation | 100 | 10 minutes | All | Aural and/or written feedback. |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Visual Presentation | Audio Visual Presentation (100%) | As above | Examined with the next cohort |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to redo the relevant assessment. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- R. L. Carhart-Harris and K. J. Friston (2019) REBUS and the Anarchic Brain, Pharmacological Reviews, 71 (3) 316-344; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/pr.118.017160
- David E. Nichols (2016) Psychedelics, Pharmacological Reviews, 68 (2) 264-355; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478
- Elk, M., Yaden, D. (2022) Pharmacological, neural, and psychological mechanisms underlying psychedelics: A critical review, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104793
- Watts, R., et al. (2022) The Watts Connectedness Scale: a new scale for measuring a sense
- of connectedness to self, others, and world, Psychopharmacology, 239:3461–3483. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-022-06187-5
- Aqil, M., Roseman, L. (2022) More than meets the eye: The role of sensory dimensions in psychedelic brain dynamics, experience, and therapeutics, Neuropharmacology, 223, 109300. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109300
- Kwan, A.C., Olson, D.E., Preller, K.H. et al. The neural basis of psychedelic action. Nat Neurosci 25, 1407–1419 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01177-4.
- Ch. 7: Hauskeller, 'Individualization and Alienation in Psychedelic Psychotherapy', in: Hauskeller, C. and Sjöstedt-Hughes, P., eds. (2022) Philosophy and Psychedelics: Exploring Frameworks for Exceptional Experience (London: Bloomsbury)
- Sanabria, E. (2021) Vegetative value: promissory horizons of therapeutic innovation in the global circulation of ayahuasca, BioSocieties, 16, pp. 387–410
- Erlam, N. (2019) Cognitive Dispossession: Ecofeminism, Entheogens, and Neuroqueering Drug Policy, in: Papaspyrou et al., eds., Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine (Rochester: Park Street Press)
- Naess, A. (1977) Spinoza and Ecology, Philosophia, 7, pp. 45–54
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 27/06/2023 |
