Rebuttal to “Questioning the recovery of dissociated traumatic memories under psilocybin”
Stéphanie Knatz Peck, Timothy D Brewerton
Journal of Eating Disorders February 17, 2026 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-026-01532-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2 |
| Population | Research participants in psilocybin treatment |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Rebuttal Traumatic memories Hypnosis Psychotherapist Psychoanalysis Distress Psychological trauma False memory |
| Key findings | Spontaneously recovered traumatic memories of sexual assaults emerged during psilocybin treatment, and the authors argue for the appropriateness of labeling these as dissociated traumatic memories. |
Abstract
In our original case report we provide detailed accounts of two research participants who reported the emergence of spontaneously recovered, previously forgotten traumatic memories of sexual assaults during psilocybin treatment. In their commentary of this article, Kangaslampi et al. argue that we preemptively label the experiences as dissociated traumatic memories in the absence of corroborating evidence and consideration of alternative explanations. Here we further address potential therapeutic effects associated with the classification of experiences and provide a rebuttal to the authors' criticisms on our chosen nomenclature.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin Mushroom (Psilocybe semilanceata) Intoxication with Myocardial Infarction 18-year-old man | 1998 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Relief from intractable phantom pain by combining psilocybin and mirror visual-feedback (MVF) Person with leg amputation and phantom-limb pain | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study 18-year-old man with HPPD after mixed psilocybin and cannabis intoxication | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Microdosing psilocybin for chronic pain: a case series Individuals with chronic neuropathic pain | 2022 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- The acute effects of classic psychedelics on memory in humans Psychopharmacology January 9, 2021
- Therapeutic emergence of dissociated traumatic memories during psilocybin treatment for anorexia nervosa Journal of Eating Disorders May 26, 2025
- Psychedelic iatrogenic structural dissociation: an exploratory hypothesis on dissociative risks in psychedelic use. Frontiers in Psychology March 4, 2025
- Recalled childhood trauma and post-psychedelic trajectories of change in a mixed-methods study Scientific Reports November 27, 2025
- Questioning the recovery of dissociated traumatic memories under psilocybin: comment on “Therapeutic emergence of dissociated traumatic memories during psilocybin treatment for anorexia nervosa” Journal of Eating Disorders December 4, 2025