Psychedelics: Can they solve the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness? | Matthew Johnson

Can psychedelics solve the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness? Johns Hopkins professor Matthew Johnson explains.

It seems safe to say that you have subjective experiences of what it’s like to exist. But things get complicated when you try to prove that phenomenal experiences, or qualia, extend to every human being that you see around you. And things get even more complicated when you try to scientifically explain how the physical matter in your brain gives rise to consciousness, and why such experiences exist in the first place.

This is known as the hard problem of consciousness. It has yet to be solved.

Could the mind-altering power of psychedelics offer a solution to this longstanding problem? Dr. Matthew W. Johnson is leaving open the possibility. As a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Johnson is one of the world’s most published scientists when it comes to the effects of psychedelics on the human brain.

In this Big Think interview, Dr. Johnson explains why we should be both open and careful about the prospect of psychedelics helping us crack the hard problem of consciousness, which remains one of the world’s most puzzling questions.

0:00 Defining consciousness
0:47 The ‘hard problem’ of consciousness
1:44 Psychedelics & consciousness

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About Matthew Johnson:
Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is The Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the world’s most widely published experts on psychedelics. He has published research on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and depression treatment. In 2021 he received as principal investigator the first grant in 50 years from the US government for a treatment study with a classic psychedelic, specifically psilocybin in treatment of tobacco addiction. He is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drug classes. He’s been Interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, Fox News, Fox Business News, BBC and in Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind.

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Read more of our stories on consciousness:
Is your mind just a parasite on your physical body?
Will we ever define the conscious mind?
Does consciousness change the rules of quantum mechanics?

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[bradleygreen]

Psilocybin mushrooms saved my life honestly. They helped me see the pure beauty in life, and made me realize how dumb it would be to take myself out.

[TommoCarroll]

Psychedelics are such an exciting area of research right now, and the fact that these sorts of conversations are being had like this is great to see! And the nature of conciousness just breaks my brain.

[santiagoperez]

Psychedelic's definitely have potential to deal with mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression, they really helped me.

[duncangilchrist]

“The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience." - Frank Herbert

[rhyzruslan]

Tripped on shrooms in Bali right before a major life decision. It was a beautiful 4 hours filled with tears or joy and tears of agony. As I was coming down from my high i felt fear of whether i am at the right “multiverse”. What i told myself and what i have chose to believe until today is that “there can be a million alternate universe from where i am at right now but im going to choose this one and make the best out of it” - its been 3 yeas and thats my life motto ever since

[JessicaGilberts]

It's so beautiful how people keeps talking so many good things about psychedelics. Everyone focused on how magical shrooms can change their lives..I haven't tried them yet but there are definitely on my list of “must do”;) just looking for a reliable source.

[sqweed]

The hard problem of consciousness can't be answered in words alone. You can only understand it somewhat by experiencing. This is why meditation can be so profound.

[petramatejkova]

I want to do this, but where to get magic mushrooms or psychedelic products.. Any idea of someone who sells and delivers?
..

[lennyanders]

Ibogaine really helped me discard a very self destructive lifestyle but now I only meditate, it keeps me very focused.

[sophiaisabelle]

Psychedelics are far more complex than any of us could probably assume about them. There's dynamics to them that need further analysis.

[tezperez]

I'm stoked to see ideas like this increasingly enter the mainstream conversation about the nature of consciousness. My two cents is that while psychedelics can reveal a lot about *how* consciousness works, their real value lies in revealing (the "delos" -- to reveal or manifest -- in psycheDELIC) *what* consciousness *is*. The so-called hard problem of consciousness is only a problem when you're looking at consciousness, and therefore reality, from a materialist/physicalist perspective rather than what in the West is called a panpsychist perspective. Keep in mind that materialism as an ontology is a massive assumption. There are no equations or experiments that provide substantial evidence for materialism, much less prove it. But because materialism has been assumed from the start, that assumption was baked into the collective scientific endeavor for the last several centuries. The result of this is that the paradigm has been in a self-fulfilling feedback loop and reinforcing its own bias for centuries. Panpsychism, on the other hand, posits that consciousness is what is fundamental to reality, rather than matter. If consciousness is what reality is 'made' of, then the hard problem of consciousness dissolves because it is not applicable. It's like asking "What's the marital status of the color orange?" It makes no sense.

[stuckinaconstant]

I've done both LSD and mushrooms multiple times and I have contemplated such questions, but never really found an answer, not during nor after the trips. Even though the experience is profound and thought-provoking, I don't think psychedelics can provide definite, grounded answers, especially when it comes to "why" questions. They, however probably can provide us with lots of insight about how our brains and therefore consciousness work.

[RK-nqfj]

I think the problem is hard only because we are using the wrong tools to study consciousness. It’s a bit like using a hammer for removing a screw and calling it a hard problem.

The first problem with our toolset is objectivity. Not all truths need to be observable from the outside. You come up with a model and ask a bunch of subjects whether this model resonates with their subjective experience, if yes, call it
a win.

There is a bigger problem with our toolset. And that is, that we can describe all phenomenon using precise natural language. It’s a bit like describing the taste of a beer in words. You can perhaps come up with some poetry that evoke memories but you can never get precise with our words.

So yeah, take a psychedelic, solve the hard problem by changing your toolset. Look inward and use poetic descriptive language to describe if at all. Or better yet, stfu and just experience it.

[Ophiuchus]

This is why I enjoy studying phenomenology.

[ethanhamm]

The only realization I had about consciousness while on a psychedelic is that we know nothing. I remember the level of introspection I reached about what I am felt like I was going break my brain. I literally thought my brain was going to explode because I was getting to a place in the brain that we cannot go.

[tuams]

Really like this guy. The way he talks about psychadelics is so down to earth and hopeful. Really pulling the curtain back.

[SamiKotiranta]

Shrooms gave me peace and balance, I let go of so much of hate and negative feelings that it felt like being born again...

[headmikespinner]

We can never find the answer for how our consciousness work or how psychedelics work, if pyschedelics means consciousness. It's simple because that we are living in our minds and we are the answer to the problem, we cannot find the answer in outside world or even words. When you start to not thinking and not try to understand a tiny bit thing, that is when you understand everything.

[stevoofd]

The fact that there are human beings reflecting on consciousness is in itself proof of consciousness.

[theotormon]

This more cautious perspective is rarely heard on YouTube, and I always welcome it when I see it.