Moving Forward by Looking Back
History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals October 1, 2023 Patrick Elf, Amy Isham, Dario Leoni 6 citations
Commercialization of psychedelics, now attracting private sector interest after decades of research hiatus, may reshape their use, goals, and effectiveness. Drawing parallels with the earlier commercialization of mindfulness—which shares spiritual origins and self-transcendent qualities—the article identifies three tensions: separating practices from their spiritual roots, co-optation to reinforce neoliberal principles, and cost-cutting alterations to administration. These tensions arise when well-being practices are implemented in consumer capitalist societies, suggesting that commercialized psychedelics risk similar distortions as seen with mindfulness.