The role of Indigenous knowledges in psychedelic science

Abstract

This paper reflects on potential contributions from anthropology to the field of “psychedelic science.” Although the discipline’s beginnings went hand in hand with colonialism, it has made significant contributions to the understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems. Furthermore, recent calls to decolonize our theoretical frameworks and methodology, notably the “ontological turn,” open up the space for engaging meaningfully with Indigenous worldviews. At this critical juncture of the “psychedelic renaissance,” it is important to reflect on whether the current model is satisfactory and on ways to decolonize psychedelic science. What we need is a shift in paradigm, one that will acknowledge the validity of Indigenous worldviews as equal partners to scientific inquiry. Acknowledging the contributions of Indigenous knowledges to psychedelic science is necessary and needs to go hand in hand with attempts to revise biomedical models to be more inclusive in substantial ways. The paper does not argue for the abandonment of the scientific paradigm, rather for the abandonment of its privileged position. Decolonizing psychedelic science will require allowing multiple perspectives to coexist and contribute equally to our efforts going forward.

Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy

“…This lack of diversity stands in stark contrast to the fact that psychedelics have been part of the spiritual practices and cultures of Indigenous people throughout the world and have historically been frequently condemned by Western cultures. As a result, the "discovery" of psychedelic-assisted therapy by Western medicine has been criticized as another example of colonialism or cultural appropriation that repeats a history of oppression [ 65 ].…”

Models of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Contemporary Assessment and an Introduction to EMBARK, a Transdiagnostic, Trans-Drug Model

“…They have been developed by clinical research groups within academic, corporate, and non-profit entities to support their trials of various psychedelic medicines in the treatment of a range of indications. The specific approaches of these models have drawn influence from the work of early PAP pioneers inside and outside of formal research contexts ( Eisner, 1967 ; Grof, 1980 ; Greer and Tolbert, 1986 ; Stolaroff, 2004 ), indigenous approaches to the use of psychedelic substances for healing ( Fotiou, 2020 ), and elements of non-psychedelic therapeutic approaches ( Walsh and Thiessen, 2018 ; Horton et al, 2021 ). Although these models share some similarities (e.g., attention to set and setting, a structure consisting of preparation, medicine, and integration sessions), they vary greatly in how much non-drug therapy time they offer; the extent to which they incorporate extrinsic, non-psychedelic psychotherapeutic knowledge and best practices; and whether they view the support they provide as therapy per se or a distinct form of non-psychotherapeutic support.…”

From Mental Health Industry to Humane Care. Suggestions for an Alternative Systemic Approach to Distress

“…In fact, it is precisely these states that may carry the therapeutic potential or effect [ 84 , 85 ]. It is important that in the process of implementation of this kind of therapies the traditions from which some of these substances and practices were appropriated are not erased and indigenous knowledges treated as equal contributors, especially as they can provide a much wider social and cultural context for the interpretation and the consequences of the experience [ 86 ]. However, it may also seem that the particular psychological and cultural frameworks of interpretation are secondary, i.e., similar insights could be successfully articulated within Western discourse.…”