A Transformative Trip? Experiences of Psychedelic Use

IF 2.6 4区 哲学 Q1 ETHICS
Logan Neitzke-Spruill, Caroline Beit, Jill Robinson, Kai Blevins, Joel Reynolds, Nicholas G. Evans, Amy L. McGuire
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Psychedelic experiences are often compared to “transformative experiences” due to their potential to change how people think and behave. This study empirically examines whether psychedelic experiences constitute transformative experiences. Given psychedelics’ prospective applications as treatments for mental health disorders, this study also explores neuroethical issues raised by the possibility of biomedically directed transformation—namely, consent and moral psychopharmacology. To achieve these aims, we used both inductive and deductive coding techniques to analyze transcripts from interviews with 26 participants in psychedelic retreats. Results indicate that psychedelic experiences can constitute transformative experiences. Twenty participants reported experiences or insights that were seemingly inaccessible or impossible to attain if not for the psychoactive effects of psychedelics. All participants besides one reported some change in identity, values, beliefs, desires, and behavior—changes in behavior being the most common. Participants also reported feeling capable deciding to use psychedelics in part due to information seeking prior to their retreats. Finally, several participants reported an enhanced capacity for enacting changes in their lives. Our results underscore both the importance of subjective embodiment to transformation and the role of transformative agency in shaping outcomes of the psychedelic experience. We examine our results relative to neuroethical issues and advocate for centering the person in psychedelic research and neuroethical inquiry about psychedelics to avoid pitfalls associated with psychedelics’ potential as moral psychopharmacological agents.

转变之旅?使用迷幻剂的体验
由于迷幻体验有可能改变人们的思维和行为方式,因此经常被比作 "变革性体验"。本研究通过实证研究来探讨迷幻体验是否构成变革性体验。鉴于迷幻药有望作为治疗精神疾病的药物,本研究还探讨了生物医学引导的转化可能性所引发的神经伦理问题,即同意和道德精神药理学。为了实现这些目标,我们采用了归纳和演绎编码技术,对 26 名参加迷幻疗养的人员的访谈记录进行了分析。结果表明,迷幻体验可以构成变革性体验。有 20 位参与者报告说,如果不是因为迷幻药的精神作用,他们似乎无法获得或不可能获得这样的体验或感悟。除了一人之外,所有参与者都报告了在身份、价值观、信仰、欲望和行为方面的一些改变--行为的改变是最常见的。参加者还报告说,决定使用迷幻药的部分原因是由于在闭关前进行了信息搜索。最后,有几位参与者表示,他们改变生活的能力得到了提高。我们的研究结果既强调了主观体现对转变的重要性,也强调了转变机构在塑造迷幻体验结果中的作用。我们研究了与神经伦理问题相关的结果,并主张在迷幻药研究和神经伦理探究中以人为中心,以避免迷幻药作为道德精神药剂的潜力所带来的陷阱。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Neuroethics
Neuroethics MEDICAL ETHICS-
CiteScore
5.50
自引率
7.10%
发文量
31
审稿时长
>12 weeks
期刊介绍: Neuroethics is an international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to academic articles on the ethical, legal, political, social and philosophical questions provoked by research in the contemporary sciences of the mind and brain; especially, but not only, neuroscience, psychiatry and psychology. The journal publishes articles on questions raised by the sciences of the brain and mind, and on the ways in which the sciences of the brain and mind illuminate longstanding debates in ethics and philosophy.
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