This week on Hacking Consciousness: science writer John Horgan on his book Rational Mysticism. We explore the following topics: * what science and reason can help us to understand about the nature of consciousness * the limits of scientific knowledge * the idea of enlightenment * the value and drawbacks of using psychedelics to understand the mind * and more… Guest Bio: John Horgan is a veteran science journalist and Director of the Center for Science Writings at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey. He writes the “Cross-check” blog for Scientific American (https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/). His books include The End of Science, The Undiscovered Mind, Rational Mysticism and The End of War. He is now completing a book on the mind-body problem.​ Horgan’s work has been covered by print, radio, and television media, including The New York Times, PBS, BBC, MSNBC and National Public Radio. His awards include the Science Journalism Award of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Association of Science Writers Science-in-Society Award. Where to Find John: Twitter Website Scientific American Please help to make Hacking the Self a sustainable project by: * Making a donation at https://www.patreon.com/hackingtheself You can also help us to get the word out by: * Sharing this interview with friends and on your social media platforms * Writing a review for the podcast on iTunes, Sticher or the Google Music Store