Community-based psychedelic integration and social efficacy: An ethnographic study in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

This qualitative ethnographic study of a psychedelic integration group in the Southeastern United States contributes to an understanding of the role of supportive communities in processing psychedelic experiences. This article proposes the concept of ‘social efficacy’ to capture the importance of social relationships to the efficacy of psychedelics. Social efficacy refers to a source of efficacy that includes not just the immediate social environment in which psychedelics are experienced and processed, but also the broad range of social relationships and political economic and historical contexts that frame their use.This year-long ethnographic research project took place with a psychedelic integration group in an urban center in the Southeastern United States. It was based on observation, interviews, and a focus group.Overall, the participants in the integration group see the group as critical to their ability to effectively process their psychedelic experiences. The group is important as a supportive community of like-minded people that facilitates enduring cognitive and affective transformation.Community-based non-therapeutic integration groups can play a vital role in the positive integration of psychedelic experiences, improving mental health and quality of life for users. The important role of community-based groups has significance for both the legalization and the medicalization of psychedelics. It highlights the need for safe and legal spaces in which people can talk about their psychedelic experiences and for medical models of efficacy that include social, relational elements.