TY - JOUR
T1 - Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy
T2 - use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions
AU - Garcia-Romeu, Albert
AU - Richards, William A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Heffter Research Institute and Council on Spiritual Practices.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Institute of Psychiatry and Johns Hopkins University.
PY - 2018/7/4
Y1 - 2018/7/4
N2 - Humans have used serotonergic hallucinogens (i.e. psychedelics) for spiritual, ceremonial, and recreational purposes for thousands of years, but their administration as part of a structured therapeutic intervention is still a relatively novel practice within Western medical and psychological frameworks. In the mid-20th century, considerable advances were made in developing therapeutic approaches integrating administration of low (psycholytic) and high (psychedelic) doses of serotonergic hallucinogens for treatment of a variety of conditions, often incorporating psychoanalytic concepts prevalent at that time. This work contributed seminal insights regarding how these substances may be employed with efficacy and safety in targeted therapeutic interventions, including the importance of optimizing set (frame of mind) and setting (therapeutic environment). More recently, clinical and pharmacological research has revisited the effects and therapeutic potential of psychedelics utilizing a variety of approaches. The current article provides an overview of past and present models of psychedelic therapy, and discusses important considerations for future interventions incorporating the use of psychedelics in research and clinical practice.
AB - Humans have used serotonergic hallucinogens (i.e. psychedelics) for spiritual, ceremonial, and recreational purposes for thousands of years, but their administration as part of a structured therapeutic intervention is still a relatively novel practice within Western medical and psychological frameworks. In the mid-20th century, considerable advances were made in developing therapeutic approaches integrating administration of low (psycholytic) and high (psychedelic) doses of serotonergic hallucinogens for treatment of a variety of conditions, often incorporating psychoanalytic concepts prevalent at that time. This work contributed seminal insights regarding how these substances may be employed with efficacy and safety in targeted therapeutic interventions, including the importance of optimizing set (frame of mind) and setting (therapeutic environment). More recently, clinical and pharmacological research has revisited the effects and therapeutic potential of psychedelics utilizing a variety of approaches. The current article provides an overview of past and present models of psychedelic therapy, and discusses important considerations for future interventions incorporating the use of psychedelics in research and clinical practice.
KW - LSD
KW - Psychedelic therapy
KW - hallucinogens
KW - psilocybin
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U2 - 10.1080/09540261.2018.1486289
DO - 10.1080/09540261.2018.1486289
M3 - Review article
C2 - 30422079
AN - SCOPUS:85057610857
SN - 0954-0261
VL - 30
SP - 291
EP - 316
JO - International Review of Psychiatry
JF - International Review of Psychiatry
IS - 4
ER -