Aesthetics of Set and Setting
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Psychonauts, navigators of the mind, have in the course of decades worked on the manipulation and careful selection of appropriate environments which would optimize the transcendental experience of psychedelics. The setting, a term that designates this carefully prepared trip space has been observed to be a fundamental component of the more spiritually oriented experiences. A place that is structured to provide a particular mood or emotion, employing various means such as auditory and visual support which can include shamanic drumming sounds, electronic beats, and icons derived from various systems of belief. Psychonauts but also shamanic traditions which employ psychedelics as entheogens have often taught of the importance of the setting in contrast to the aseptic and laboratory-oriented psychedelic experimentation. Whether inspired by traditional shamanic performances or their reinterpreted variations often fused with syncretic contemporary western esoteric practices, the capacity to manipulate the senses by designing an environment relies on an aesthetic sense. In this presentation, I will analyze the principles that underlie the organization of a set with the intention of optimizing psychedelic experiences. I will also analyze what is the prefered symbolism and design which is employed in the preparation of the setting |
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