Psychedelics and the Ontology of Work: A Qualitative Study of Career Transformation, Spiritual Embodiment, and Purpose-Driven Labour
Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion January 1, 2026 Jeffrey Overall
Psychedelic experiences can catalyze career realignment by dissolving ego-based ambitions, enhancing somatic awareness, and reorienting motivation toward value-based, purpose-driven work. Based on 28 in-depth interviews and grounded theory analysis, four integrative categories emerged: psychedelic influences on work, creativity and innovation, personal transformation, and career transitions. Participants often integrated spiritual insight and sacred intuition into professional life, reframing labor as a mode of existential expression rather than a means of achievement. The findings extend psychedelic science into underexplored domains of career development, entrepreneurship, and organizational behavior.