Webinar August 31st 2023 | Ruben Laukkonen – Psychedelics, insight, and the pursuit of truth

The emergence of insights during psychedelics is remarkably important for therapeutic progress. Insights can be a source of creativity, discovery, and even healing, but they can also mark the beginning of a delusional episode, or potentially entrench and perpetuate false beliefs. From this starting point, neuroscientist Ruben Laukkonen will present a fascinating webinar lecture on August 31st at 12PM UTC+3.

Do note the unusual time – due to the time zone of the lecturer, the webinar starts at noon (Finnish time).

In the talk, Dr. Laukkonen will review evidence from a series of experiments that expose both the light and the dark side of insight. These findings will be integrated within an active inference account, wherein feelings of insight can give rise to, and entrench, new beliefs and perspectives during psychedelic experiences. Put simply, the combination of intense insights and relaxed beliefs creates the profound potential for plasticity and change. However, this plasticity risks the insight-catalysed lodging of false or maladaptive beliefs (possibly triggering mania). These ideas will be grounded by discussing the different kinds of insights that arise and how to nudge them in the “right” direction, and how we might define that direction.

Tickets are available from our web store. For members of the association who’ve paid their membership fee for 2023, the event is free of charge. If you want to pay your membership fee for this year or become a member, you’ll find our membership products on the main page of our web store. An email with a link for free registration to the event has been sent to members of the association. If you’re not sure if you’ve paid for your membership this year, feel free to ask us.

Dr. Ruben Laukkonen is a principal investigator and lecturer at Southern Cross University and holds honourary fellowships at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and The University of Queensland. Ruben’s research uncovers empirically grounded and experientially authentic models of meditation, insight, and non-duality. Using a combination of methods including behaviour, neuroimaging, machine learning, and phenomenology, he is investigating some of the rarest states of consciousness available to human beings. He has published articles in leading journals, regularly speaks at international conferences, consults for the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development. Ruben has an eclectic contemplative background, including traditions such as Zen, Advaita, and Theravada.