Patricia Pisters

Presentation of Special Issue Deleuze and Guattari and the Psychedelic Revival Spui25 – Tuesday 23 January 2024 at 17.00
We are in the midst of a psychedelic revival. Scientifically, the therapeutic potentialities of psychedelics get a lot of attention. The philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of the inner journeys and its implied significance that often transgress medical scientific frameworks has received relatively less attention. Tonight, our panel will offer ideas and thought on these current developments with the launch of a special issue of the journal Deleuze and Guattari Studies.

While the instances where Deleuze and Guattari refer directly to psychedelics in their work are rare (but nevertheless explicit), many of the concepts they have put forward in their philosophical collaborations are “hallucinatory” in themselves: ideas such as becoming-animal, becoming-matter, or the Body without Organs seem outlandish but they gain new significance when read in relation to psychedelic experiences. This evening several authors that have contributed to this special issue will give a very short introduction to their work, and then will discuss further the value of philosophy, art, and film in the current debates and scientific research on psychedelics. With contributions by Amir Vudka, Erica Biolchini, Daan Oostveen, Marc Tuters and Patricia Pisters. Moderation by Dirk Vis. More information and reservation here.