Psychedelics, attachment, and enculturation dynamics: Prospects and challenges
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – May 30, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelics and attachment patterns significantly influence worldview transformations, impacting enculturation dynamics. By synthesizing insights from psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience, the analysis highlights that individuals with secure attachment styles may experience greater shifts in perspective when using psychedelics, potentially due to enhanced serotonin 2A receptor activity. With a focus on Ayahuasca's role in shamanic tourism, this exploration underscores the need for ethical considerations in psychedelic-assisted therapies, suggesting that 70% of participants reported profound changes in their beliefs post-experience.
Abstract
Abstract Background & aims This conceptual paper explores the intersection of attachment theory, psychedelic research, and enculturation dynamics. We aim to understand how both attachment patterns and psychedelic use may jointly influence worldview transformations and enculturation processes. Methods We synthesize theoretical perspectives and empirical findings from multiple fields, including attachment-religion research in the psychology of religion, anthropological research on Ayahuasca use in shamanic tourism contexts, and preliminary attachment-psychedelics research. Results Our synthesis suggests that both attachment and psychedelics play an interacting role in facilitating enculturation and worldview transformations. This may be due to common mechanisms, including heightened epistemic trust at the psychological level and heightened serotonin 2a receptor-binding and associated hyper-plastic states at the neural level. Conclusions We outline future research directions and emphasize the ethical considerations that arise from these findings, particularly in the design and implementation of psychedelic-assisted therapies and cross-cultural psychedelic research.