Existential feelings as a phenomenological framework for psychedelic therapy
Floris Benjamin Tijhuis, Sabrina Coninx, Leon De Bruin
Philosophical Psychology October 9, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2024.2412195 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Existentialism Feeling Psychotherapist Epistemology Phenomenology philosophy Cognitive science Psychoanalysis Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Argues that a phenomenological account of existential feelings, particularly oceanic feelings, can explain how psychedelic therapy produces lasting relief from mental suffering by reorienting a person's fundamental sense of self and world. |
Abstract
This article provides a phenomenological account of the role of existential feelings in the acute and lasting effects of psychedelic therapy and attempts to elucidate phenomenologically why certain psychedelic experiences in specific contexts have the potential of providing long-term relief from mental suffering. First, we explain Matthew Ratcliffe’s theory of existential feelings and use it to highlight shared phenomenological characteristics between various mental disorders. Next, we discuss the phenomenology of oceanic feelings to specify the kind of existential feeling that is involved in acute psychedelic experiences and connect this to the existential reorientation that may occur after the use of psychedelics. Following this, we show how this framework of existential feelings allows us to (1) characterize the phenomenological process that takes during therapeutic use of psychedelics, and (2) describe various conditions required for a successful therapeutic psychedelic experience.
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 6
- The Role of Psychedelics in Contemporary Psychological and Interdisciplinary Inquiry. Journal of Personalized Medicine September 28, 2025
- A systematic review of psychedelic use and its relationship with meaning and purpose in life Journal of Psychedelic Studies April 25, 2025
- Psychedelics and New Materialism: Challenging the Science–Spirituality Binary and the Onto-Epistemological Order of Modernity Religions July 22, 2025
- Psychedelics, subjectivity, and self-awareness Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences August 13, 2026
- Phenomenology and psychopharmacology: a mutually enlightening relationship? Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences May 14, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 56
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
and 51 more in the library