Psychedelic medicalization, public discourse, and the morality of ego dissolution
International Journal of Cultural Studies June 9, 2021 Alex K Gearin, Neşe Devenot 40 citations
Scientific research on psychedelic substances, though presented as objective, often embeds moral and political claims in public discourse. This article examines how popular media in the United States and the United Kingdom portray psychedelic medicine as naturalizing specific moral and political orientations—such as neoliberal and anti-authoritarian agency—as healthy and pharmacological. The analysis responds to scholarly debates about the overlap of scientific knowledge and moral discourse, tracing how psychedelics are framed as ego-dissolving medicines.