Evolving Ethics in Psychedelic Drug Taking
Journal of Drug Issues April 1, 1988 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1177/002204268801800207 via OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelics create unique experiences that often lead individuals to develop a personal ethic related to living, influenced by the transcendental nature of these experiences. Interest in psychedelic drug use peaked around 1972 and declined by 1979, but there is now a slow resurgence as irrational fears subside and new information emerges. Users often adopt ethical frameworks similar to cultures where these substances are accepted, integrating their experiences into daily life.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Psychedelic drug users often develop ethics that integrate their experiences into ongoing life, reflecting those in cultures where such drugs are accepted. |
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Abstract
Psychedelics are unique from other drugs in that the experiences they make available often demand an ethic of living. Ethics of a spiritual, therapeutic, or exploratory quality develop spontaneously because of the transcendental nature of the experience. Contemporary psychedelic drug taking went through a cycle which peaked in 1972 and declined about 1979. A slow resurgence of interest is indicated by receding irrational hysteria and the emergence of new information. Psychedelic drug takers often adopt ethics similar to those in societies where such drugs are already an accepted part of culture, ethics which constructively integrate the experience with ongoing life.