With great power comes great vulnerability: an ethical analysis of psychedelics’ therapeutic mechanisms proposed by the REBUS hypothesis
Journal of Medical Ethics April 12, 2023 Daniel Villiger, Manuel Trachsel 40 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy makes patients highly suggestible and sensitive to context by increasing the influence of bottom-up input, which can revise rigid beliefs. This heightened vulnerability, where patients lose control and become dependent on the therapeutic setting, raises ethical concerns. Some therapists have exploited this vulnerability in the past. To ensure valid informed consent, patients must be well informed about these mechanisms and their implications. Additional security measures are needed to protect patients in current research and future mainstream medical settings.