Introduction: philosophy and psychedelic psychiatry
Philosophical Perspectives on Psychedelic Psychiatry September 13, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780192898371.003.0001
Summary
The chapter reviews the history of psychedelics in psychiatry, focusing on their phenomenological and behavioral effects that prompted therapeutic research. It provides an overview of recent findings on the safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Additionally, it summarizes contributions from various chapters that explore philosophical issues related to the resurgence of psychedelic psychiatry, organized around themes of 'Self and Mind', 'Science and Psychiatry', and 'Ethics and Spirituality'.
Abstract
Abstract The chapter undertakes three main tasks. The first is to review, briefly, the history of psychedelics in psychiatry, including the phenomenological and behavioural effects that first led to their being studied for therapeutic purposes. The second is to give an overview of recent research into the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The third is to summarize the contributions of each of the chapters collected in this volume and show how they address philosophical issues arising from the new wave of psychedelic psychiatry. The topics of these chapters cluster around three broad themes, in terms of which the volume is organized: ‘Self and Mind’, ‘Science and Psychiatry’, and ‘Ethics and Spirituality’.