Psychedelic Therapy: Beyond Brain, Embracing Culture
October 4, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/rjngs via OpenAlex
Summary
Cultural embodiment significantly influences psychological experiences and the treatment of mental health conditions. The paper argues that psychedelic-assisted therapy's effectiveness should not only be viewed through a neural activity lens but also as changes in self-narratives shaped by culture. Psychedelic experiences facilitate these narrative shifts, which can enhance therapeutic outcomes. This perspective could lead to more effective mental health interventions.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Psychedelic experiences enable changes in culturally situated self-narratives, which play a causal role in therapeutic efficacy. |
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Abstract
This paper argues that cultural embodiment plays a pivotal factor in shaping psychological experiences, influencing both the development and treatment of mental health conditions. Traditional analytic philosophy of mind proposes that the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy should be understood as a brain computational model update. Beyond the scientific understanding of neural activity, we argue instead that the psychological therapeutic effect should be understood as pattern changes in self-narratives. Psychedelic experience plays a causal role in therapeutic efficacy by allowing the pattern changes of culturally situated self-narratives. By considering the interplay between cultural embodiment and therapeutic outcomes, this study offers a novel perspective on the processes underlying psychedelic-assisted therapy and highlights the potential for more effective treatment approaches in mental health interventions.