Suggestions effects in psychedelics: Confounds and opportunities
Madeline Victore Stein, Devin B. Terhune
preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/5krs4
Summary
Psychedelics are gaining interest, but this enthusiasm can complicate understanding their neurocognitive effects and therapeutic efficacy. Suggestion effects can both bias research outcomes and enhance therapeutic results. By examining these effects in psychedelic experiences, the importance of considering suggestion as both a confounding factor and a beneficial tool is highlighted. A more careful approach to suggestion effects is recommended.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Suggestion effects in psychedelic experiences can act as both a source of bias in research and a means to enhance therapeutic outcomes. |
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Abstract
The resurgence of interest in psychedelics has led to their widespread, and often uncritical, promotion within both popular media and scientific communities. This heightened enthusiasm complicates assessments of the neurocognitive effects of psychedelics as well as their efficacy as adjuncts to psychotherapy. A key challenge for this nascent field involves understanding how suggestion effects can both act as a confound in experimental research on psychedelics but also improve outcomes in therapeutic interventions. By critically examining how these effects operate within psychedelic experiences, we aim to draw greater attention to the role of suggestion effects as both a source of bias but also as a tool that can be leveraged to maximize therapeutic benefits. We argue for more careful consideration of the role of suggestion effects in response to psychedelics.