Psychedelic discourses: A qualitative study of discussions in a Danish online forum
Søren Holm, Margit Anne Petersen, Oskar Enghoff, Morten Hesse
International Journal of Drug Policy January 19, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103945 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn a Danish online forum, users discuss psychedelic substances through five dominant frameworks: recreational, therapeutic, spiritual, scientific, and performance discourses. Analysis of 1,865 posts from 154 threads revealed that participants draw on and reproduce these shared frameworks when describing and negotiating their understandings and uses of psychedelics. The findings underscore the importance of a nuanced approach to user perceptions, suggesting that drug policy and practice should account for significant variation in motives and modalities of psychedelic use.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Users of a Danish online forum discussing psychedelic substances |
| Keywords | Danish Qualitative research Online forum Media studies Online discussion |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key finding | Five dominant discourses—recreational, therapeutic, spiritual, scientific, and performance—frame how forum users describe, discuss, and negotiate their understandings and uses of psychedelics. |
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study focuses on user-perspectives related to norms, beliefs and practices concerning psychedelic substances as they are articulated in a Danish online forum. The study combines an interest in online drug research with a focus on discourse analysis to account for the dialectical relationship between individual and shared knowledge regarding the use and meaning of psychedelics. METHODS: A total of 1,865 posts from 154 threads of online discussion were coded and analyzed thematically, inspired by a socio-cognitive approach to the study of discourse. All topics were arranged into 54 categories which were further analyzed to map recurring patterns in the construction of meaning resulting in a limited number of dominant discourses. RESULTS: Five dominant discourses were identified: the recreational, the therapeutic, the spiritual, the scientific and the performance discourse. We suggest that these discourses can be seen as the available frameworks which forum users draw upon and reproduce when they describe, discuss, and negotiate their understandings and uses of psychedelics. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the importance of having a nuanced approach to user perceptions. Future drug policy and practice development should take these nuances into account and expect significant variation in the motives and modalities of the use of psychedelics.