Return of the sacred: Psychiatry's evolving relationship with spirituality.
Osama Bhatti, Mohammad Qasim Latifi
Australasian Psychiatry June 5, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/10398562261457011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Psychiatry and spirituality |
| Topics | End-of-life distress Mysticism |
| Keywords | Meaning Psychedelics Religion Spirituality |
| Key findings | Psychiatry faces a challenging opportunity to integrate spiritual dimensions of distress without compromising scientific integrity, shaping its future relationship with the sacred. |
Abstract
BackgroundPsychiatry has long maintained an ambivalent relationship with religion and spirituality, often acknowledging their relevance while remaining cautious about clinical engagement.ObjectivesThis article examines the historical, conceptual, and clinical tensions surrounding spirituality in psychiatry and explores how contemporary psychedelic research has renewed attention to meaning and transcendence.DiscussionWe examine definitions, nosology, and evidence linking spirituality and meaning within psychiatry. We explore how psychedelic-assisted therapies highlight both therapeutic potential and ethical risks in addressing existential suffering.ConclusionPsychiatry faces a challenging opportunity to integrate spiritual dimensions of distress without compromising scientific integrity, shaping its future relationship with the sacred.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on end-of-life distress, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness. Palliative care clinicians and patients | 2022 | Review | |
| The Potential of Psychedelics for End of Life and Palliative Care. Patients with life-threatening diagnoses | 2022 | Review | |
| Psilocybin in Palliative Care: An Update. Palliative care patients | 2023 | Review | |
| Psychedelic medicines for end-of-life care: Pipeline clinical trial review 2022. People with terminal illnesses experiencing depression, anxiety, or existential distress | 2023 | Scoping review | n = 25 |
| Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for existential distress: practical considerations for therapeutic application—a review | 2024 | Narrative review |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer Journal of Psychopharmacology January 9, 2020
- Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica October 30, 2020
- Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2018
- A Meta-Analysis of Placebo-Controlled Trials of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 12, 2020
- Psychedelics in Psychiatry-Keeping the Renaissance From Going Off the Rails. JAMA Psychiatry May 1, 2021
and 7 more in the library