Seeing without self: Discovering new meaning with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Neuropsychoanalysis July 3, 2019 DOI: 10.1080/15294145.2019.1689528 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key points | Argues that ego dissolution in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy deactivates defense mechanisms, enabling access to primary-process thinking and transformative self-acceptance akin to mentalization. |
Abstract
New research in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy merits a reexamination of the neurobiology and phenomenology of psychedelic states. First person accounts of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are used to re-conceptualize the ego boundary as a defense mechanism which regulates the significance that objects hold for the self. Therapeutic action is attributed to ego dissolution, which enables subjects to see new significance in things. This process coincides neurobiologically with uncoupling certain midline cortical structures, and psychodynamically, with deactivating defense mechanisms which mitigate the threat of losing the loved object. It also enables the dreamlike imagery, symbols, and metaphor of the primary process, a regression to earlier ways of relating to objects, and feelings of love and connectivity. The process supports Freud's ideas about the oceanic mode of relating to the world existing alongside the narrower, mature ego feeling. The former is better suited for finding meaning in life, while the latter is better suited for survival. The noetic quality of the psychedelic state derives from an unconscious recognition that experiences without character defenses feel more genuine than others, and conform to earlier ways of feeling and thinking. The accessibility of the primary process makes psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy transformative, not just informative. An analogy is drawn to Fonagy's developmental model of mentalization. Absent the defensive, self-critical lens of a prior self-concept, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy serves as an ideal paradigm for the transformative experience of seeing oneself through the eyes of another, leading to greater self-acceptance. Flight instructions for navigating this royal road to the unconscious are considered.
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
Cited by 33
- The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Current Neuropharmacology January 5, 2024
- Psychedelics and Psychotherapy. Pharmacopsychiatry July 1, 2021
- Transformative experience and informed consent to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy Frontiers in Psychology May 26, 2023
- LSD, madness and healing: Mystical experiences as possible link between psychosis model and therapy model. Psychological Medicine March 1, 2023
- Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of major depression: a synthesis of phenomenological explanations. Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy June 1, 2022
and 28 more in the library
Cites 59
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