Synthesizing Attachment Theory with the REBUS Model
Aaron D. Cherniak, Robin Carhart-Harris, Joel Gruneau Brulin, Mario Mikulincer, Sebastian Ostlind, Pehr Granqvist
The Oxford Handbook of Psychedelic, Religious, Spiritual, and Mystical Experiences December 18, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192844064.013.17 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Attachment theory Psychological transformation |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | Proposes that synthesizing attachment theory with the REBUS model provides an organizing framework for psychedelic science, in which psychedelic-induced hyper-plasticity combined with corrective relational experiences facilitates revision of internal working models toward greater security. |
Abstract
Abstract In this chapter, the authors synthesize the relational developmental perspective of attachment theory with a neuroscientific model: the RElaxed Beliefs Under pSychedelics (REBUS). This synthesis, the authors argue, can serve as an organizing framework for psychedelic science. Attachment theory posits that people develop internal working models (IWMs) of relational experiences with close others. These IWMs function as predictive models (“priors”) that, for better and for worse, contribute to people’s social and emotional worlds and organize how they navigate them. Effective psychedelic interventions may work by inducing a hyper-plastic neural state that, supported by corrective relational experiences (with therapists, God, or others), facilitates rapid and deep learning. This can include revision of IWMs toward greater security and other psychological transformations. Based on the attachment-REBUS synthesis, the authors describe three main proposals to guide future research. First, individual differences in attachment security predict the phenomenology of psychedelic experiences and processes related to their integration. Second, increasing attachment security may be a clinical outcome of efficacious psychedelic therapy. Third, among other process-level mechanisms, the clinical utility of psychedelic treatment involves attachment-related dynamics (e.g., connectedness to others and God, alleviation of attachment-related worries and defenses). Finally, the authors provide words of caution and future directions.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Learning to Let Go: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model of How Psychedelic Therapy Promotes Acceptance | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy | 2018 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 72
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature Medicine June 1, 2021
- Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness Journal of Psychopharmacology September 28, 2011
and 67 more in the library