Guruism and Cultic Social Dynamics in Psychedelic Practices and Organisations.
Current topics in behavioral neurosciences January 4, 2025 Jules Evans, Joseph Holcomb Adams 7 citations
Psychedelic drugs may increase suggestibility, amplify transference, and facilitate intense projective mechanisms in recipients, potentially leading to ego-inflation and grandiosity in those administering them. These effects can intensify cultic social dynamics and guruism in psychedelic communities—including therapist offices, clinics, research departments, retreat centers, training programs, NGOs, underground ceremonies, and new religious movements—creating conditions where harm and misconduct are more likely and often unreported. The chapter defines guruism and cultic social dynamics, explains how they can lead to abuse, discusses how psychedelics may amplify these processes, and outlines possible safeguards.