Non-hallucinogenic psychedelic psychotherapy: Decreasing risk and increasing access, or missing the point?

Psychedelics have shown promise in open-label studies and early clinical trials for rapidly and possibly lastingly relieving conditions such as major depressive disorder, end-of-life anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking, alcohol use, and eating disorders. A key unresolved question is whether the hallucinatory experiences produced by classical psychedelics are necessary for their therapeutic effects, or whether a non-hallucinogenic trip could be equally effective. This commentary considers the value of the phenomenological psychedelic experience and poses the broader question of what any phenomenological experience is for.

Study at a glance

Abstract

AbstractOver the past decade, numerous open-label studies and early clinical trials have shown that psychedelics hold promise for the fast and possibly lasting relief of a wide range of conditions ranging from major depressive disorder, end-of-life anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder to smoking, alcohol use, and eating disorders. Among the questions still to be resolved in this endeavor are questions related to the importance of the metaphysical and phenomenological aspects of the psychedelic experience. Are the hallucinatory experiences engendered by classical psychedelics necessary to their therapeutic action, or could a trip that doesn't go anywhere have the same effect on depression and other conditions? This commentary considers the value of the phenomenological psychedelic experience and asks the larger question, what are any of our phenomenological experiences for?