Biosocieties
January 8, 2026
Ido Hartogsohn
1 citation
Abstract The emergence of non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens signals a profound philosophical and therapeutic chasm in the discourse surrounding psychedelic medicine. Unlike psychedelic-assisted therapy, which emphasizes subjective experience as central to healing, psychoplastogens are framed as purely neuroplasticity-driven treatments, aiming to repair brain circuits without inducing altered...
Psychedelic Harm Reduction
2026
Ido Hartogsohn
13 citations
Set and setting is a fundamental concept in the field of psychedelic studies, denoting the crucial importance of context to determining the character and quality of experiences with psychedelics. This paper suggests a framework for thinking of set and setting and its relevance for psychedelic harm reduction. It discusses how “set,” the diverse factors related to an individual’s mindset, and...
Nature Medicine
June 3, 2025
Chloé Pronovost-Morgan, Kyle T. Greenway, Leor Roseman et al.
26 citations
Psychedelic substances exhibit complex interactions with the 'set and setting' of use, that is, the mental state of the user and the environment in which a psychedelic experience takes place. Despite these contextual variables' known importance, psychedelic research has lacked methodological rigor in reporting extra-pharmacological factors. This study aimed to generate consensus-based...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
January 15, 2025
Ido Hartogsohn, Yaron Yavelberg, Omry Ben Ezra
Abstract Background and aims The recent resurgence of psychedelic research has led to increased interest in extra-pharmacological factors shaping drug effects (set and setting). Habitually discussed in the context of psychedelic therapy, the relevance of set and setting to determining the outcome of non-psychedelic psychiatric interventions receives strong theoretical and empirical support in...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
February 26, 2024
Ido Hartogsohn
4 citations
The term psychonaut has become increasingly common in recent years.Introduced in 1949 by Ernst Jünger, a German author and fellow traveler of Albert Hofmann, the word is used to describe individuals dedicated to the exploration of their mind, often with use of psychedelics.Distinct to those who experiment with psychedelics haphazardly, the title 'psychonaut' suggests an aura of method,...
The MIT Press eBooks
November 21, 2023
Ido Hartogsohn, Itamar Zadoff
2 citations
As of 2021, Israel is positioned at the forefront of a global revival of psychedelic research and culture.The small Middle Eastern country hosts clinical trials with psychedelics, generates multiple psychedelic start-ups, and hosts a pioneering psychedelic therapy training program.Popu lar interest in psychedelics is surging throughout the country as well, with multiple conferences, podcasts,...
History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals
October 1, 2023
Ido Hartogsohn
9 citations
Abstract The term “corporadelic” signifies “manifesting corporate structures, ethos, or logic within the context of the psychedelic landscape.” It points to a relatively novel phenomena in the history of psychedelics: the appropriation of these psychoactive agents by for-profit corporations and the integration of psychedelic use into corporate setting. Set and setting is a fundamental concept...
J Psychopharmacol
June 30, 2023
Chloé Pronovost-Morgan, Ido Hartogsohn, Johannes G. Ramaekers
33 citations
The randomized controlled trial (RCT) research design assumes that a drug's "specific" effect can be isolated, added, and subtracted from the "nonspecific" effect of context and person. While RCTs are helpful in assessing the added benefit of a novel drug, they tend to obscure the curative potential of extra-pharmacological variables, known as "the placebo effect." Ample empirical evidence...
Psychopharmacology
December 1, 2022
Ido Hartogsohn, Rotem Petranker
22 citations
The use of psychedelics for medical and recreational purposes is rising. Contextual factors such as expectancy, intention, and sensory and social environment (set and setting) are widely recognized as moderating the effects of these substances. Nevertheless, clinical trials of microdosing - the ingestion of small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics - rarely report their set and setting....
Transcultural Psychiatry
July 12, 2022
Ido Hartogsohn
43 citations
Mid-20th-century American research on psychedelics evinced a stunning diversity of interpretations of hallucinogenic effects. While some researchers viewed psychedelics as invaluable tools for psychotherapy, others persisted in treating them as psychosis-inducing agents. As some groups considered psychedelics as catalysts for artistic creativity, others investigated their potential use as...
Frontiers in Psychology
2022
Ido Hartogsohn
19 citations
The concept of cyberdelics emerged in the 1980s and 1990s as an umbrella term denoting the nexus connecting cybernetic (digital) technologies and psychedelic (mind manifesting) drugs. Cyberdelic technologies, in particular the then newly emerging field of virtual reality, were touted by psychedelic cultural icons including Timothy Leary and Terence McKenna as auguring a new era of digital...
Frontiers in Psychology
2022
Ido Hartogsohn
7 citations
During the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic a variety of social activities migrated online, including religious ceremonies and rituals. One such instance is the case of Santo Daime, a Brazilian rainforest religion that utilizes the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca in its rituals. During the pandemic, multiple Santo Daime rituals involving the consumption of ayahuasca took place online, mediated through Zoom...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
May 4, 2021
Ido Hartogsohn
49 citations
Set and setting is a fundamental concept in the field of psychedelic drug research, which points to the profound dependence of psychedelic effects on psychological, social, and cultural factors. Santo Daime is a Brazilian religion that makes elaborate use of ordering principles, techniques, and symbology to shape and direct the effects of the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca. This paper...
The MIT Press eBooks
July 14, 2020
Ido Hartogsohn
34 citations
How historical, social, and cultural forces shaped the psychedelic experience in midcentury America, from CIA LSD experiments the Harvard Psilocybin Project. Are psychedelics invaluable therapeutic medicines, or dangerously unpredictable drugs that precipitate psychosis? Tools for spiritual communion or cognitive enhancers that spark innovation? Activators for one's private muse or part of a...
Frontiers in Neuroscience
March 6, 2018
Ido Hartogsohn
Past research has demonstrated to the ability of psychedelics to enhance suggestibility, and pointed to their ability to amplify perception of meaning. This paper examines the existing evidence for the meaning-enhancing properties of psychedelics, and argues that the tendency of these agents to enhance the perception of significance offers valuable clues to explaining their reported ability to...
Drug Science Policy and Law
2017
Ido Hartogsohn
459 citations
Set and setting is a term which refers to the psychological, social, and cultural parameters which shape the response to psychedelic drugs. The concept is considered fundamental to psychedelic research and has also been used to describe nonpharmacological factors which shape the effects of other agents such as alcohol, heroin, amphetamines, or cocaine. This paper reviews the history and...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
November 16, 2016
Ido Hartogsohn
469 citations
Placebo response theory and set and setting theory are two fields which examine how non-biological factors shape the response to therapy. Both consider factors such as expectancy, preparation and beliefs to be crucial for understanding the extra-pharmacological processes which shape the response to drugs. Yet there are also fundamental differences between the two theories. Set and setting...