Should we be leery of being Leary? Concerns about psychedelic use by psychedelic researchers.
Brent M Kious, Zach Schwartz, Benjamin R. Lewis
Journal of Psychopharmacology 2023 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221133461 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Research ethics Research-ethics Psychedelic-research Scientific-objectivity Researcher-bias Drug-experimentation |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key points | Argues that personal use of psychedelics by researchers could threaten scientific objectivity and ethical conduct, and proposes strategies to reduce perceived conflicts of interest. |
Abstract
Psychedelic research is proceeding rapidly, despite ongoing legal and regulatory barriers and lingering questions about study design, such as the difficulty of ensuring adequate blinding, the relative overrepresentation in studies of participants who have previously used psychedelics, and the importance of personal experience with psychedelics for those who provide psychedelic-assisted therapy. Here we wish to explore a distinct concern: whether personal use of psychedelics by researchers could threaten the objectivity and ethical conduct of psychedelic research itself. In 2020, Anderson et al. suggested that psychedelic use could lead even "conservative individuals to become wildly enthusiastic about the potentials of psychedelics to heal and transform". Recent popular press criticisms of psychedelic science, in particular critiques of the MAPS Phase II and Phase III MDMA-Assisted Therapy trials for PTSD, have also raised questions about whether personal use of psychedelic drugs by psychedelic therapists could compromise scientific objectivity, lead to the exploitation of research subjects, or promote biased reporting of results. Here, we elaborate on and attempt to delimit these concerns, with the goal of informing policy related to psychedelic research and the eventual clinical use of psychedelics. In particular, we explore whether the possibility that psychedelic use can directly and positively affect investigators' enthusiasm about psychedelics themselves raises concerns about bias and scientific integrity. We then discuss several practical strategies to reduce perceived conflict of interest.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differences Between the Mechanism of Action of MDMA, MBDB, and the Classic Hallucinogens. Identification of a New Therapeutic Class: Entactogens | 1986 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Background and Chemistry of MDMA | 1986 | Historical analysis | |
| The origin of MDMA (ecstasy) revisited: the true story reconstructed from the original documents* Original documents in Merck's historical archive in Darmstadt, Germany, years 1900–1960 | 2006 | Historical analysis | |
| Distinct neural mechanisms for the prosocial and rewarding properties of MDMA | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How could MDMA (ecstasy) help anxiety disorders? A neurobiological rationale | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 43
- Studying Harms Is Key to Improving Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy—Participants Call for Changes to Research Landscape JAMA Psychiatry March 29, 2023
- The psychedelic afterglow phenomenon: a systematic review of subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2023
- Developing an Ethics and Policy Framework for Psychedelic Clinical Care: A Consensus Statement. JAMA Network Open June 3, 2024
- Is the Requirement for First-Person Experience of Psychedelic Drugs a Justified Component of a Psychedelic Therapist's Training? Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics March 2, 2023
- Giving consent to the ineffable Neuroethics February 15, 2024
and 38 more in the library
Cites 12
- MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature Medicine June 1, 2021
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
- Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Nature Medicine April 11, 2022
- Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in humans Psychopharmacology October 7, 2016
- Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy, Creative Thinking, and Subjective Well-Being Journal of Psychoactive Drugs February 26, 2019
and 7 more in the library