An Occultist Untangles Psychedelics & Magic

Chris Lyon, founder of the esoteric learning platform Mystai, provides a historical and practical framework for exploring psychedelics.

The following interview is an attempt to answer a question that’s still forming in my mind. The first iterations: Where do magic & psychedelics overlap? Historically? Culturally? How can they inform each other? 

“Magic” is a word so big that I struggle to offer a concise definition — although Chris attempts to in the following interview. The word “psychedelics” refers to conscious-altering substances – although there’s far more to that word too. 

What do magic practitioners have to show us about exploring the terrain of psychedelic landscapes? To this end, Chris Lyon—who is many things, but for these purposes, I will introduce him as a practicing magician and scholar—provides wisdom and guidance on this process of birthing a question.  

CV Henriette: Let’s start with the basics.  What’s your background? What did you study? 

Chris Lyon: I originally got my degree in Archaeology from the IoA in…