J Eat Disord
September 2, 2025
Elena Koning, Riccardo Miceli Mcmillan, Aaron Keshen et al.
3 citations
This paper argues that current psychedelic-assisted therapy studies for eating disorders may fail to capture meaningful outcomes because they rely on standard psychiatric measures that overlook the subjective, first-person experience of the disorder. From a phenomenological psychopathology perspective, the authors contend that eating disorders involve profound alterations in self-perception, embodiment, and identity that cannot be adequately assessed through symptom checklists or behavioral metrics alone. They suggest that incorporating experiential data and qualitative accounts of transformative shifts in sense of self and body relationship could provide a more accurate picture of therapeutic efficacy.
Philosophical Psychology
November 25, 2024
Riccardo Miceli Mcmillan, Jack Reynolds, Anthony Vincent Fernandez
3 citations
Psychedelic therapy's effectiveness partly depends on the nature of the experiences it produces, especially altered time perception, such as feelings of timelessness. Interpreting these reports is challenging because true timelessness may be impossible to experience, and descriptions vary in clinical relevance. Using a phenomenological approach to temporality, this article clarifies ambiguities in current assessment tools. It proposes that psychedelic temporality might counteract depressive temporality, offering a preliminary mechanism for therapy. A dedicated phenomenological research program could map psychedelic time experiences, resolving philosophical and clinical uncertainties and guiding future studies.
Adaptive Behavior
December 9, 2025
Jack Reynolds, Jan Baedke
Enactivism, a theory that emphasizes the role of the organism's actions in shaping its cognition, has been criticized for relying on outdated science or philosophical speculation. This paper uses recent findings from metabolism and microbiome research to argue that enactivism must update its core concepts. The evidence shows that biological processes like metabolism and interactions between hosts and their microbes are characterized by heteronomy and symbiosis, challenging enactivist ideas of self-production and autonomy. Additionally, this research suggests enactivism should not entirely reject reductionist explanations but instead develop a philosophy of science that integrates them. The authors conclude that enactivism needs to moderate its commitments to autopoietic theory to remain viable.