A psilocybin haven: the use of comparison to legitimate transgression at a psychedelic retreat

At a Swedish retreat offering psychedelic ceremonies for personal growth, staff and participants portrayed psilocybin as an inherently benevolent substance, distinct from illegal drug use. Positive experiences during ceremonies were attributed to the substance, while negative experiences were seen as personal shortcomings. The setting, described as a haven, combined with participants' desire for transformation, shaped this meaning. Discourses at the retreat condemned purely recreational use, framing psilocybin use as legitimate transgression unrelated to other illicit drugs.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Background Currently, there are great hopes for psychedelic substances in treating psychiatric conditions and improving well-being. These substances are illegal in many countries, and we lack knowledge of how conflicting discourses shape psychedelic use in naturalistic settings. This study explores how psilocybin use is made meaningful by participants and staff at a retreat including psychedelic ceremonies aimed at personal growth.Methods Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted at a psychedelic retreat with participants from Sweden. The material was organized using Zinberg’s model of drug, set, and setting. Theoretical work related to comparisons was utilized to elucidate how psilocybin use was distinguished from other illicit drug use.Results The participants’ desires to be fundamentally transformed, combined with the staff’s staging of the setting as a haven primed the participants to approach psilocybin as an inherently benevolent substance. Positive experiences during the ceremonies were attributed to the substance, and negative experiences to personal shortcomings.Conclusions The staff and participants combined different discourses to define the meaning of psilocybin, all of which condemned using it for purely recreational purposes. The psilocybin use at the retreat was considered an improvement and wholly unrelated to illegal drug use, dissociating this practice from such use to establish legitimate transgression.