Psychedelic Therapies as Resistance to Neoliberalism: A Brazilian Schizoanalytical Perspective

The ongoing 'psychedelic renaissance' and its medicalization of psychedelics may reinforce historical psychiatric practices as a form of technobiopower, intertwining with neoliberal rationality, reductionist psychiatry, and fascism. Through a genealogical and critical review, the authors argue that this movement overlooks valuable contributions from French and Brazilian philosophers and psychoanalysts. Incorporating analytics of desire could deepen understanding of links between psychology, capitalism, and psychedelics. The paper explores micropolitics around diagnostics and contemporary malaise, proposing ways to escape the current grammar of suffering by drawing on insights from global minority movements. It asserts that psychedelics combined with psychotherapy can be tools for resisting neoliberalism.

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Abstract

Psychedelic‐assisted therapies can be intertwined with the forces of neoliberal rationality, reductionist psychiatry, biomedical psychopharmacology, individualized models of subjectivity and fascism. Through a genealogical and critical review, this study seeks to demonstrate how the ongoing ‘psychedelic renaissance’ and its current medicalization of psychedelics may reinforce historical discourses and practices of psychiatry as technobiopower. Despite important critiques emerging in this field, the ‘psychedelic renaissance’ appears to overlook valuable contributions that French and Brazilian philosophers and psychoanalysts can offer. By incorporating analytics of desire into these productions, the humanities field of psychedelics could deepen the understanding of contemporary links between psychology, capitalism and psychedelics. Therefore, we explore the micropolitics regarding diagnostics, the contemporary malaise and some political forces driving the movement. The paper concludes by proposing ways to escape the contemporary grammar of suffering, drawing on the insights and actions of global minority movements. We assert the potential of psychedelics, in conjunction with psychotherapy, as tools for resisting neoliberalism.