Researchers from palliative care, psychosocial oncology, spiritual care, oncology, and psychedelic-assisted therapies identified seven key opportunities for advancing research on psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with serious illness. Four opportunities relate to science and design: clarifying which conditions the therapy is indicated for, developing and refining therapeutic protocols, investigating how set and setting affect outcomes, and understanding mechanisms of action. Three opportunities concern institutional and societal drivers: education and certification for therapists, regulations and funding, and diversity and inclusion. Participants also noted epistemological limitations of the medical model for understanding psychedelics' therapeutic value.
The paper argues that psychedelic-assisted therapy should be understood as a form of spiritual care rooted in Indigenous knowledge, rather than a novel biomedical discovery. It critiques the dominant narrative that frames psychedelics as a new frontier in mental health treatment, asserting that Indigenous peoples have long used these substances in ceremonial and healing contexts. The author calls for a re-centering of Indigenous perspectives, ethics, and practices in the development and implementation of psychedelic therapies, warning against cultural appropriation and the erasure of Indigenous contributions.