Therapeutic benefit versus epistemic risk: Need for empirical research in psychedelic epistemology.

Psychedelic therapy, while physiologically and psychologically safe, can alter users' beliefs, including inducing paranormal beliefs. This paper introduces the concept of epistemic criteria—the principles people use to validate and justify their beliefs—and hypothesizes that psychedelics may change beliefs by modifying these criteria. The authors argue that this potential, under-researched risk highlights ethical and epistemic challenges, vindicating the importance of epistemology in clinical and psychotherapeutic settings. Further research is needed to determine the extent of this risk.

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Abstract

This paper highlights the ethical and epistemic challenges posed by psychedelic therapy and vindicates the importance of epistemology in the clinical and psychotherapeutic setting. Despite their relative physiological and psychological safety, these substances can induce changes in the beliefs of those who use them, such as paranormal beliefs. To explain the changes in beliefs, we introduced the concept of epistemic criteria (i.e., the principles individuals use to validate and justify their beliefs) and hypothesized that psychedelics may alter beliefs by modifying epistemic criteria. Further research should be conducted to determine this potential and under-researched risk of psychedelic therapy.