These aren’t the beliefs you’re looking for: on the limits of affect-neutral accounts of psychedelic therapy
Synthese January 26, 2026 Celia R. Blaise
A recurring finding in psychedelic-assisted therapy is that the subjective intensity and quality of the psychedelic experience contribute more to therapeutic outcomes than the administered dose. Many explanations appeal to what these experiences reveal or enable, such as acquiring mental representations, expanding awareness, or revising beliefs about the self and the world. This paper argues that even if psychedelics work by loosening beliefs or expanding awareness, this alone does not explain why resulting changes should be beneficial rather than neutral or harmful. Existing theories risk describing processes that could worsen distress as easily as alleviate it. The author argues that without a positive shift in affective valence, there is no clear reason why psychedelic experiences should lead to therapeutic outcomes.