Recreation and Realization: Reported Motivations of Use Among Persons Who Consume Psychedelics in Non-Clinical Settings

Most psychedelic use happens in social, not clinical, settings, yet research focuses on clinical applications. Interviews with 30 people who used psychedelics outside clinical contexts reveal multiple motivations for use. While some users cite ego reduction and existential awareness—aligning with the clinical narrative—most report curiosity and fun as primary reasons. The findings challenge the prevailing view of psychedelics as a clinical panacea and highlight the importance of understanding non-clinical use.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Psychedelic research is said to be going through a renaissance with widespread public and political attention on psychedelics' ability to clinically resolve various medicalized issues.The prevailing cultural narrative of psychedelics almost touts it as a panacea when used in regulated, clinical settings under the supervision of a trained guide.While clinical studies are certainly informative, it is important to recognize that most psychedelic use takes place in social settings, not clinical ones.This paper seeks to expand the narrative on psychedelic research by presenting in-depth interview data on a diverse sample of 30 persons who report using psychedelic substances "on their own terms."Data indicate multiple reasons for initial and subsequent psychedelic use, only some of which comport with the prevailing narrative that psychedelic use decreases ego-inflated pathology while increasing existential awareness.Indeed, while these reasons are cited among some when discussing reasons for continued use, most interviewees report motivations related to curiosity and having fun.Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology • Pre-Issue Pubs Recreation and Realization: Reported Motivations of Use Among Persons Who Consume Psychedelics in Non-Clinical Settings 5 recidivism among persons recently released from prison, but he and his colleagues eventually began dosing volunteer civilians with psilocybin and LSD.Researchers steeped in more traditional scientific models voiced their concerns about the permissiveness of this work (Novak, 1997), which eventually resulted in Leary's dismissal from Harvard.Over the next few years, even though psychedelic studies continued to be supported (e.g., Kast & Collins, 1964), mass media outlets embellished stories of psychedelic effects, increasing attention on the dangers of psychedelic use, especially among teen and young adult populations (Siff, 2015).The psychedelic research landscape underwent quick and dramatic changes.By 1967, possession and sale of psychedelics were criminalized throughout the US, and in 1970, The Controlled Substances Act was passed, making classic psychedelics a Schedule I drug, thus deeming them highly addictive and having no medicinal value.As a result, institutionally supported psychedelic research was effectively terminated.Now, decades later, sanctioned clinical psychedelic research has returned.RickStrassman's study of DMT is often cited as the first of these contemporary, so-called "second wave" investigations (Strassman et al., 1994;Strassman, 2001).Commonly involving multi-disciplinary teams comprised of neuroscientists, pharmacologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and/or counselors, patients are dosed with psychedelics, supervised, monitored, recorded, and surveyed about their experiences (e.g., Griffiths et al., 2006).Although these studies began by examining "healthy normals," studies have since focused on dosing terminally ill patients to examine changes in their existential fears and end-of-life anxiety and depression (e.g., Reiche et