“Ontological shocks”: new transformations for sustainability through psychedelic tourism
Journal of Sustainable Tourism January 1, 2026 Alexandra Coghlan, Girish Prayag 4 citations
Tourism experiences rarely produce the deep paradigm shifts needed for sustainability, but psychedelic tourism—involving traditional shamanic practices or high-end wellness centers—can trigger such ontological changes, altering a person's sense of reality and how they know it. Drawing on Meadows' system-dynamics leverage points, the study reviews anthropological and medical research to show that psychedelic tourism does induce these profound shifts, yet integrating them after returning home remains difficult, similar to other tourism experiences.