Clooney, FrancisBentsman, MichelleWelker, Joe2023-07-252023-05Welker, Joe. 2023. Blind Visions: Psychedelics, Thomas Merton, and Reformed Mysticism. Master's thesis, Harvard Divinity School.https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37376587The author shares his Christian faith journey and its impact on his psychedelic thought. The paper is a theological conversation with Thomas Merton’s books, essays, letters, journals, and monastic lectures and the Reformed tradition of the Presbyterian Church (USA). After exploring facets of idolatry (including "illuminism," the idolatry of experience), natural theology, relational theology, dialectical theology, interreligious theology, religious ethics, and some social implications of Christian psychedelic use, the author formulates a post-psychedelic theology of Reformed mysticism incorporating Merton's "mysticism of is-ness."en-USpsychedelicsMertonreformedmysticismtheologyChristianityThesis or Dissertation2023-07-25