Chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex system and the potential roles of psychedelic therapies.
Maya Armstrong, Joel Castellanos, Devon Christie
Frontiers in Pain Research April 19, 2024 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1346053 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Psychedelic-assisted therapies Mindfulness-based approaches |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Mind-body medicine Pain management |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key points | Proposes that conceptualizing chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex biopsychosocial system may explain its persistence and that psychedelic-assisted therapies, alongside mindfulness, could be beneficial by disrupting rigid patterns and promoting neuroplasticity. |
Abstract
Despite research advances and urgent calls by national and global health organizations, clinical outcomes for millions of people suffering with chronic pain remain poor. We suggest bringing the lens of complexity science to this problem, conceptualizing chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex biopsychosocial system. We frame pain-related physiology, neuroscience, developmental psychology, learning, and epigenetics as components and mini-systems that interact together and with changing socioenvironmental conditions, as an overarching complex system that gives rise to the emergent phenomenon of chronic pain. We postulate that the behavior of complex systems may help to explain persistence of chronic pain despite current treatments. From this perspective, chronic pain may benefit from therapies that can be both disruptive and adaptive at higher orders within the complex system. We explore psychedelic-assisted therapies and how these may overlap with and complement mindfulness-based approaches to this end. Both mindfulness and psychedelic therapies have been shown to have transdiagnostic value, due in part to disruptive effects on rigid cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns as well their ability to promote neuroplasticity. Psychedelic therapies may hold unique promise for the management of chronic pain.
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 3
- Exploring Psychedelics for Unmet Needs in Women's Reproductive Health. Psychedelic Medicine June 1, 2025
- Psychedelics in functional disorders: A scoping review Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry February 10, 2026
- Psilocybin as a psychophysical adaptogen in chronic pain rehabilitation. Journal of Pain July 21, 2025
Cites 105
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- 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
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
and 100 more in the library