The phenomenology of psychedelic temporality: current knowledge, open questions, and clinical applications

Summary

Psychedelic therapy's effectiveness may be influenced by the nature of psychedelic experiences, particularly how time is perceived during these experiences. Reports of timelessness are diverse and can have varying clinical importance. This article employs a phenomenological approach to clarify ambiguities in current assessments of psychedelic experiences and proposes that psychedelic temporality might counter depressive temporality. A focused phenomenological research program is suggested to better understand these complexities.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Current evidence suggests that the efficacy of psychedelic therapy depends, in part, on the character of psychedelic experiences themselves. One pronounced aspect of psychedelic experiences is alterations to the experience of time, including reports of timelessness or transcending time. However, how we should interpret such reports remains unclear, and this lack of clarity has philosophical and clinical implications. For instance, “true” timelessness may be considered antithetical to having any experience at all, and descriptions of experiences involving “timelessness” are known to be diverse and of varying clinical significance. In this article, we utilize a phenomenological approach to the study of temporality to highlight ambiguities in current constructs used to assess psychedelic experiences. In doing so, we advance some preliminary phenomenological accounts of psychedelic therapy’s mechanisms of action, such as psychedelic temporality acting as a kind of counterpoint for depressive temporality. We conclude by outlining how a dedicated phenomenological research program can provide a nuanced map of psychedelic temporality, guiding future research in a manner that addresses both philosophical and clinical ambiguities.

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