Culture, context, and ethics in the therapeutic use of hallucinogens: Psychedelics as active super-placebos?
Transcultural Psychiatry October 1, 2022 David Dupuis, Samuel Veissière 70 citations
Psychedelic substances like DMT, psilocybin, and LSD are being tested as treatments for depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. This thematic issue examines cultural assumptions, political dimensions, and clinical and ethical implications of this renewed interest. The authors argue that psychedelics can be seen as "active super-placebos" that enhance therapeutic processes by increasing suggestibility and the influence of non-specific factors. Rather than merely freeing perception, psychedelic experiences involve meaning-making and enculturation into contextually mediated beliefs and behaviors, which can install novel constraints with potentially maladaptive consequences. The importance of clinical and epistemic integrity in framing psychedelic therapies is highlighted.