Introduction: philosophy and psychedelic psychiatry

This chapter reviews the history of psychedelics in psychiatry, including the phenomenological and behavioral effects that initially prompted their therapeutic study. It provides an overview of recent research on the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The chapter also summarizes the contributions of each chapter in the volume, showing how they address philosophical issues arising from the new wave of psychedelic psychiatry. The chapters are organized around three themes: 'Self and Mind', 'Science and Psychiatry', and 'Ethics and Spirituality'.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract The chapter undertakes three main tasks. The first is to review, briefly, the history of psychedelics in psychiatry, including the phenomenological and behavioural effects that first led to their being studied for therapeutic purposes. The second is to give an overview of recent research into the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The third is to summarize the contributions of each of the chapters collected in this volume and show how they address philosophical issues arising from the new wave of psychedelic psychiatry. The topics of these chapters cluster around three broad themes, in terms of which the volume is organized: ‘Self and Mind’, ‘Science and Psychiatry’, and ‘Ethics and Spirituality’.