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Early Psychedelic Investigators Reflect on the Psychological and Social Implications of their Research

Roger Walsh, Charles S. Grob

Journal of Humanistic Psychology October 1, 2006 DOI: 10.1177/0022167806286745 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Population Surviving original investigators of psychedelic research
Topics Philosophy of mind
Keywords Psychedelic research Research history
Citations 18
Key findings The original investigators' conclusions and the implications of their research span multiple disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, anthropology, sociology, and religious studies.

Abstract

In the brief period before it was legally terminated, considerable human subjects research was conducted on psychedelics. More than 1,000 clinical reports documented a wide array of psychological effects and therapeutic possibilities. The findings held major implications for disciplines as diverse as psychology, psychiatry, neuro-science, anthropology, sociology, and religious studies. Psychological and psychiatric findings included insights into states of consciousness, the unconscious, and the relationship of different schools of psychology, motivation, self-actualization, spirituality, psychotherapy, and adjunctive therapies. With further human subjects studies virtually impossible, the original investigators clearly constitute an irreplaceable resource of information. An interdisciplinary group of surviving investigators was therefore convened and interviewed to obtain an oral history of the findings and implications of their research. This article provides a summary of their conclusions, of the psychological and social implications of their research, and of the impact their research had on diverse academic disciplines.

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Phenomenology and Sequelae of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Use Psychiatrists who had taken MDMA 1992 Qualitative study n = 20
A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners 2014 Qualitative study
Evoking the ineffable: The phenomenology of extreme sports. Extreme sports participants across three continents, including BASE jumping, big wave... 2017 Qualitative study n = 15
Phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N-dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience. Naturalistic inhaled N,N-DMT experiences posted to the r/DMT Reddit community 2022 Qualitative analysis n = 3,778

Citations in the library

Cited by 12

and 7 more in the library

Cites 4

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Philosophy of mind Psychedelic-assisted therapy