Bio-Psycho-Spiritual Perspectives on Psychedelics: Clinical and Ethical Implications
Logan Neitzke-Spruill, Neşe Devenot, Dominic Sisti, L. Averill, Amy L. Mcguire
Perspectives in biology and medicine January 1, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1353/pbm.2024.a919715 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
This paper reviews three frameworks for understanding psychedelics' effects: neurobiological, psychological, and spiritual. It explores the ethical and professional implications of each for psychedelic-assisted therapy. The authors argue that interdisciplinary education is needed to improve communication among researchers and integrate multiple levels of analysis. They caution against overemphasizing neuro-mechanisms, note risks from vulnerable states of consciousness, and highlight challenges in incorporating spiritual frameworks into medicine. The paper concludes that developing new models that reflect emerging knowledge should be a central goal of psychedelic science.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Interdisciplinary education is necessary to integrate neurobiological, psychological, and spiritual frameworks for understanding psychedelic effects and to avoid pitfalls such as overemphasis on neuro-mechanisms. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT:Psychedelics have again become a subject of widespread interest, owing to the reinvigoration of research into their traditional uses, possible medical applications, and social implications. As evidence for psychedelics' clinical potential mounts, the field has increasingly focused on searching for mechanisms to explain the effects of psychedelics and therapeutic efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). This paper reviews three general frameworks that encompass several prominent models for understanding psychedelics' effects—specifically, neurobiological, psychological, and spiritual frameworks. Following our review, the implications of each framework for ethics and professional competencies in the implementation of psychedelics as medicines are explored. We suggest that interdisciplinary education may be necessary to improve communication between researchers, develop models that effectively incorporate multiple levels of analysis, and facilitate collaboration between professionals with diverse backgrounds in the implementation of psychedelic medicines. We also address pitfalls associated with overemphasis on neuro-mechanisms, risks associated with instigating vulnerable states of consciousness, and hurdles associated with the integration of spiritual frameworks in medicine. Ultimately, as psychedelics push the boundaries of explanatory frameworks focused on one level of analysis, developing new and more useful models to reflect knowledge being produced in this field should be a central aim of psychedelic science going forward.