Interdisciplinary Science Reviews
January 1, 2023
Jeffrey A. Breau, Paul Gillis-Smith
8 citations
The Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), widely used in psychedelic research to assess mystical experiences, draws on philosopher Walter Stace's typology of mysticism. This article shows that Stace's typology was shaped by dialogue with major figures in modern, transnational Vedantic Hinduism, an influence that has been under-investigated. The authors demonstrate how these Vedantic approaches to religious experience are preserved in Stace's framework and, through the MEQ, embedded in contemporary psychedelic science. The article argues that scientists' insistence on the MEQ's theoretical rigor perpetuates Stace's interpretation of modern Vedantic ideas, linking science and religion in the field.
PLoS One
May 29, 2026
Roman Palitsky, Caroline Peacock, Jeffrey A. Breau et al.
Psychedelic facilitation training in the US is an evolving field with common priorities and gaps. Interviews with representatives from 13 established and emerging training organizations revealed shared focuses on careful selection of trainees and faculty, content emphases in instruction, addressing spiritual and existential topics, and teaching strategies. Identified gaps include the need for continuing education for program graduates, parity with other disciplines, and development of field standards. The authors suggest that training programs and trainees would benefit from greater collaboration and ongoing exchange about best practices as the field adjusts to scientific, social, economic, and regulatory developments.
PsyArXiv
July 10, 2025
Roman Palitsky, Caroline Peacock, Jeffrey Breau et al.
preprint
Psychedelic facilitation training in the US is an emerging discipline focused on developing skilled interpersonal support and safety monitoring to enhance therapeutic potential and reduce harm. A quality improvement project interviewed representatives from 13 established and emerging training organizations, identifying common priorities such as careful trainee and faculty selection, content emphases, and addressing spiritual and existential topics. Gaps included the need for continuing education for graduates, parity with other disciplines, and field standards. Greater collaboration and exchange about best practices could benefit programs and trainees as the field evolves.
Psychedelic Intersections
January 17, 2025
Jeffrey Breau, Paul Gillis-Smith
Since the 1960s, Harvard Divinity School has been a central hub for research on psychedelics and religion, yet building a rich scholarly community around this field is still in its early stages. The Psychedelic Intersections: 2024 Conference Anthology, drawn from the 'Psychedelic Intersections: Cross-cultural Manifestations of the Sacred' conference, presents original interdisciplinary research at the crossroads of psychedelics, religion, medicine, race, Indigeneity, law, the underground, history, and anthropology. The volume frames psychedelics as intersections where unlikely groups meet and as intersectional forces that challenge existing conceptions of power, law, and spirituality. It invites readers to imagine multidisciplinary, collaborative, self-critical scholarship that is attuned to complexity and diversity.