‘Psychedelic’ as Mind-Revealing: Psychological Processes in the Subjective Experience That Drive Positive Change
Rúna F. E. Walther, Hein T. van Schie
Preprints.org July 30, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.20944/preprints202407.2400.v1 via OpenAlex
Summary
The review highlights the importance of psychedelic states in therapy, emphasizing that mystical experiences are the strongest predictor of positive outcomes. It discusses various substances and non-drug methods like breathwork and meditation that can induce these states. Several psychological processes linked to positive change include awe, perspective shifts, and emotional breakthroughs. The authors argue against a solely medical view of psychological health, advocating for the recognition of phenomenological experiences.
Study at a glance
| Design | narrative review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Mystical experiences during psychedelic states are the strongest predictor of positive therapeutic outcomes. |
Abstract
This narrative review explores the utilization of psychedelic states in therapeutic contexts, deliberately shifting the focus from psychedelic substances back to the experiential phenomena they induce, in alignment with the original meaning of the term "mind-manifesting." The review provides an overview of various psychedelic substances used in modern therapeutic settings and ritualistic indigenous contexts, as well as non-pharmacological methods that can arguably induce psychedelic states, including breathwork, meditation, and sensory deprivation. While the occurrence of mystical experiences in psychedelic states seems to be the strongest predictor of positive outcomes, the literature of the field yields several other psychological processes, such as awe, perspective shifts, insight, emotional breakthrough, acceptance, re-experiencing of memories, and certain aspects of challenging experiences, that are significantly associated with positive change. We additionally discuss in detail mystical experience related changes in metaphysical as well as self-related beliefs and their respective contributions to observed outcomes. We conclude that a purely medical and neurobiological perspective on psychological health is reductive and should not overshadow the significance of phenomenological experiences in understanding and treating psychological issues that manifest in subjective realities of human individuals.