Positive Affect and Letheby's Naturalization of Psychedelic Therapy
Sarah J. Hoffman
Philosophy and the Mind Sciences April 19, 2022 DOI: 10.33735/phimisci.2022.9285 (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 | Affect linguistics Conceptualization Psychotherapist Naturalization Contingency Identity music Psychoanalysis Epistemology Aesthetics |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key points | Argues that Letheby's theory of psychedelic therapy neglects the role of affect, as shown by comparison with MDMA-assisted therapy, and that his account of ego dissolution needs further justification. |
Abstract
Letheby’s naturalistic theory of psychedelic therapy argues that the therapeutic power of psychedelics lies in their ability to allow individuals “to discover the contingency, mutability and simulatory nature of their own sense of identity and habitual modes of attention.” The general shape of this project is persuasive; it is hard to see how the claim that successful therapy must involve changes to the self could be objected to, and Letheby sketches a consistent, if speculative, picture of psychedelic experience. But the role of affect in psychedelic therapy is insufficiently explored by Letheby as a comparison to MDMA-assisted therapy indicates. This comparison further suggests that Letheby’s reliance on a particular conceptualization of ego dissolution experiences is in need of further explanation and justification.
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 4
- Predicting the Intensity of Psychedelic-Induced Mystical and Challenging Experience in a Healthy Population: An Exploratory Post-Hoc Analysis. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2023
- These aren’t the beliefs you’re looking for: on the limits of affect-neutral accounts of psychedelic therapy Synthese January 26, 2026
- Psychedelics and moral psychology: the case of forgiveness Philosophical Perspectives on Psychedelic Psychiatry September 13, 2024
- Psychedelics and the Entropic Brain Beyond the Self International Journal for the Psychology of Religion March 28, 2023
Cites 15
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Psychedelics and the essential importance of context. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 15, 2018
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences Journal of Psychopharmacology August 31, 2016
- Predicting Responses to Psychedelics: A Prospective Study Frontiers in Pharmacology November 2, 2018
and 10 more in the library