Cosmology of belonging: The role of community in the therapeutic use of psychedelics.
Palliative & supportive care January 21, 2025 Caroline Dorsen, Lola Noero, Michelle Knapp et al. 5 citations
Fifteen facilitators of naturalistic psychedelic groups in the United States described community as essential to every aspect of psychedelic work: from motivation to use psychedelics, through the dosing experience, to integrating lessons into daily life. Thematic analysis identified two overarching themes: the arc of healing through community (with subthemes of intention, the group journey experience, and integration) and naturally occurring psychedelic communities as group therapy (with subthemes of belonging, authenticity, corrective experience, trust, and touch). The findings suggest that existing knowledge about therapeutic group processes may help structure and optimize group psychedelic work. More research is needed on group size, composition, substance selection, facilitator training, and community integration. Psychedelic groups may provide benefits that individual work does not.