Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and Carl Jung’s <i>Red Book</i>

Harris, James C.

doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1207

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…This conceptualization may have been/be useful in approaching psychedelic experience, especially given the flexibility that this conceptualization provides and the intuitive nature of working with an “unconscious.” While sharing a context and goal with psychodynamic approaches, rather than unconscious processes, CBTs target empirically derived processes which are linked (through empirical evidence) to outcomes. As psychedelic therapy emerges from this period of relative quiescence, some have advocated for psychodynamic/psychoanalytic approaches to continue (see Harris, 2021 ). Psychedelics certainly offer interesting psychological content to try to understand using these perspectives.…”

Section: Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default

et al. 2022

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The acute subjective effects of psychedelics are responsive to users’ expectations and surroundings (i.e., “set and setting”). Accordingly, a great deal of thought has gone into designing the psychosocial context of psychedelic administration in clinical settings. But what theoretical paradigms inform these considerations about set and setting? Here, we describe several historical, sociological influences on current psychedelic administration in mainstream European and American clinical research settings, including: indigenous practices, new age spirituality from the 1960s, psychodynamic/psychoanalytic approaches, and cognitive-behavioral approaches. We consider each of these paradigms and determine that cognitive-behavioral therapies, including newer branches such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), have the strongest rationale for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy going forward. Our primary reasons for advocating for cognitive-behavioral approaches include, (1) they avoid issues of cultural insensitivity, (2) they make minimal speculative assumptions about the nature of the mind and reality, (3) they have the largest base of empirical support for their safety and effectiveness outside of psychedelic therapy. We then propose several concepts from cognitive-behavioral therapies such as CBT, DBT, and ACT that can usefully inform the preparation, session, and integration phases of psychedelic psychotherapy. Overall, while there are many sources from which psychedelic psychotherapy could draw, we argue that current gold-standard, evidence-based psychotherapeutic paradigms provide the best starting point in terms of safety and efficacy.

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Section: Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default

et al. 2022

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“…This was also mentioned in the information material coming with Sandoz pharmaceutical LSD called Delysid (Sandoz, 1964 ). In this framework, the therapeutic effect is not primarily attributed to the substance itself but rather to its capacity to cathartically release blocked emotions and memories, which are then used as therapeutic material (Harris, 2021 ). Here, the early German psychedelic pioneer Hanscarl Leuner should be mentioned, who used his own therapeutic experiences with psychedelic substances to develop his psychotherapeutic technique of Guided Affective Imagery (Leuner, 1969 ).…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychedelics in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression

Bosch

Halm

Seifritz

2022

Int J Bipolar Disord

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This is a narrative review about the role of classic and two atypical psychedelics in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression. Since the 1990s, psychedelics experience a renaissance in biomedical research. The so-called classic psychedelics include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, mescaline and ayahuasca. Characteristic effects like alterations in sensory perception, as well as emotion- and self-processing are induced by stimulation of serotonin 2A receptors in cortical areas. The new paradigm of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy suggests a therapeutic framework in which a safely conducted psychedelic experience is integrated into a continuous psychotherapeutic process. First randomized, controlled trials with psilocybin show promising efficacy, tolerability, and adherence in the treatment of unipolar depression. On the other hand, classic psychedelics seem to be associated with the induction of mania, which is an important issue to consider for the design of research and clinical protocols. So called atypical psychedelics are a heterogeneous group with overlapping subjective effects but different neurobiological mechanisms. Two examples of therapeutic value in psychiatry are 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and ketamine. Since 2020 the ketamine enantiomer esketamine has been granted international approval for treatment-resistant unipolar depression, and also first evidence exists for the therapeutic efficacy of ketamine in bipolar depression. Whether psychedelics will fulfil current expectations and find their way into broader clinical use will depend on future rigorous clinical trials with larger sample sizes. A well-considered therapeutic and legal framework will be crucial for these substances to create new treatment settings and a potential paradigm shift.

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“…Given that many mental health conditions are marked by inflexible patterns of habitual thought, feeling, and behavior (Morris and Mansell, 2018), using psychedelics to disrupt neural systems encoding such patterns provides a compelling approach for mental healthcare treatment (Carhart- Harris et al 2014). Furthermore, the seeming ability of psychedelics to enhance cognitive, emotional, and creative flexibility, in part by evoking the mystical-type experiences long sought out by our human ancestors, can be a powerful starting point for psychological healing (Nutt and Carhart-Harris 2021;Davis et al 2020;Mason et al 2021;Harris, 2021). Coupled with therapeutic integration focused on insight and emotional recalibration, and in light of psychedelics' ability to promote structural and functional neural plasticity, these substances may actually help ''rewire the brain'' to enable long-term relief.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It would, for instance, seem critical for health systems to preserve the ancient ritualistic elements of psychedelic-based therapies, with close attention to assessment, set and setting, time for preparation, processing and dialogue, and re-integration after profound experiences, as commonly practiced in current clinical research (Carhart-Harris et al 2018;Garcia-Romeu and Richards 2018). Whereas studies increasingly show that a compound like ketamine may be effective when administered in standard clinical infusions (Corriger and Pickering 2019), interventions using psilocybin and MDMA have been most effective when carried out over several weeks with oversight from therapists (Carhart- Harris et al, 2021;Davis et al 2020;Griffiths et al 2016;Mitchell et al 2021). Some might ask whether society is willing to invest in such resource-intensive treatments-activities for which entire days/weeks were often devoted by our ancient forebears And if so, can such interventions exist at scale within a capitalist system that often diminishes flexibility in working peoples' lives and severely strains the clinical time healers may spend with their patients?…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Roots of Today’s Emerging Renaissance in Psychedelic Medicine

George

Hanson

Wilkinson

et al. 2021

Cult Med Psychiatry

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An international ban on psychedelics initiated by the United Nations' Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 1971 restricted the clinical use of these ancient psychoactive substances. Yet, in an era marked by rising mental health concerns and a growing ''Deaths of Despair'' epidemic (i.e., excess mortality and morbidity from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism), the structured psychedelic use that has long been a part of ritual healing experiences for human societies is slowly regaining credibility in Western medicine for its potential to treat various mental health conditions. We use a historical lens to examine the use of psychedelic therapies over time, translate ancient lessons to contemporary clinical and research practice, and interrogate the practical and ethical questions researchers must grapple with before they can enter mainstream medicine. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and its contributions to the global mental health burden, we also reflect on how psychedelic therapy might serve as a tool for medicine in the aftermath of collective trauma. Ultimately, it is argued that a ''psychedelic renaissance'' anchored in the lessons of antiquity can potentially help shift healthcare systems-and perhaps the broader society-towards practices that are more humane, attentive to underlying causes of distress, and supportive of human flourishing.

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Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and Carl Jung’s Red Book

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default

Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default

Psychedelics in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression

Ancient Roots of Today’s Emerging Renaissance in Psychedelic Medicine

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