Do Psychedelics Facilitate Emergence of Unconscious Psychological Processes?
Psychodynamic psychiatry September 1, 2023 Tomas Lindegaard 15 citations
Psychedelic substances, long used in traditional healing and religious ceremonies, are now being studied for therapeutic use. This review examines evidence from quantitative, qualitative, and neurobiological studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy, focusing on the hypothesis that psychedelics facilitate the emergence of emotionally charged unconscious material, originally proposed by Stanislav Grof. Process studies and qualitative reports indicate that the psychedelic experience is linked to increased subjective access to and awareness of emotions, memories, and perceptions normally outside conscious awareness. Brain-imaging studies show several neurobiological effects that may relate to these experiences. Available evidence suggests this process could be an important therapeutic mechanism, warranting further investigation.