Existential feelings as a phenomenological framework for psychedelic therapy
Philosophical Psychology October 9, 2024 Floris Benjamin Tijhuis, Sabrina Coninx, Léon C. de Bruin 7 citations
This article uses Matthew Ratcliffe's theory of existential feelings to explain how psychedelic therapy can relieve mental suffering. It argues that mental disorders share common existential feelings, and that psychedelic experiences can shift these feelings, particularly through oceanic feelings. The authors describe how this shift allows for existential reorientation, which is key to therapeutic change. They characterize the phenomenological process during psychedelic therapy and outline conditions needed for a successful therapeutic experience, such as set and setting. The account integrates phenomenology with clinical observations to show why certain psychedelic experiences lead to lasting relief.