Music's essential role during psychedelic therapy
Alexander Jeffrey Kahn, Florence Ierardi
June 1, 2021 DOI: 10.17918/00001535 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Clinicians working with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and a music therapist trained in the Bonny Method of Imagery and Music |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Music therapy Visual arts Psychoanalysis Psychotherapist |
| Key findings | Music is essential in psychedelic therapy, and adapting music to individual needs may improve therapeutic outcomes, suggesting a vital role for music therapists in collaboration with clinicians. |
Abstract
Music is an essential component of psychedelic therapy. Music can help to structure the experience, elicit emotion, facilitate meaning-making, stimulate imagery, provide continuity, support peak experiences, and more. Clients who have positive experiences with music often demonstrate higher therapeutic outcomes during psychedelic therapy. Although music is ubiquitous during psychedelic therapy, little research exists exploring the empirical foundations of how exactly music supports psychedelic therapy. By adapting the music to the specific needs of the individual, clinicians using music during psychedelic therapy might be able to improve therapeutic outcomes and provide support for clients. This requires an informed understanding of the mechanics of music and how they interact with psychedelics. Interviews with clinicians working with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy shed insight into the important role that music plays in their practice. Another interview with a music therapist trained in the Bonny Method of Imagery and Music (GIM) explores the shared history between GIM and psychedelic therapy. The unique skill set of music therapists may prove vital in supporting clients during the process itself as well as follow-up sessions that help stabilize and integrate the experience. The implications for future collaboration between music therapists and clinicians working with psychedelics are explored.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression enrolled in an open-label trial of psilocybin | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases | 2014 | Prospective follow-up with qualitative content analysis | n = 10 |
| Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Adults aged 22 to 69 with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
| Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study | 2018 | Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis | n = 12 |
| The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy Patients undergoing psychedelic therapy with psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 19 |