Then (1962), Moksha: Letters of Huxley & Osmond
The Vision of Peaceful Death: Moksha
In Island, Huxley depicted a society in which moksha-medicine was used at death, not to avoid dying but to transform it into a conscious passage. He believed this was the most important use of the substances, and wrote it into his final utopia.
contested
As of 2025, Oregon's psilocybin services program and Colorado's Natural Medicine Health Act both permit facilitated psilocybin sessions, including for end-of-life care. Australian TGA approval of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (February 2023) created the first legal framework for clinical psychedelic therapy outside a trial setting. The specific vision of Island, a society with integrated psychedelic death ritual, remains ahead of any current jurisdiction, but the clinical foundation is now established.
Sources
- Huxley, Island (1962)
- TGA Australia Decision PAN-MC-2021-PI-02660-1 (February 2023)
- OR Health Authority Psilocybin Services (2023)