Adopting precise, non-stigmatizing terminology grounded in the medical model can advance both the science and public acceptance of psychedelics. Researchers and clinicians should distinguish between medical, recreational, and spiritual uses to set clear boundaries and expectations for patients. Replacing colloquial names with scientific names for medicines and therapies may help correct misconceptions held by professionals and the public. A harmonized medical lexicon provides a common language for important communication, such as informed consent. Recommendations draw on communications research in addiction medicine to encourage development and implementation of non-stigmatizing terminology in psychedelic research and treatment.
A two-minute shared-gazing exercise called Just-Like-Me (JLM), in which partners contemplate shared humanity while looking at each other, increased feelings of closeness by about one standard deviation both online and in person. The effect was larger than solitary meditation and, when done in person, larger than mutual gazing without contemplation. JLM also boosted prosocial behavior in a dictator game and induced synchrony in smiling and heart rates. Synchronized smiling partly explained the relational benefits. The findings suggest that brief dyadic meditations can foster social connection and may help address loneliness.