Psychedelics and Psychosis.

Psychedelic experience is, by those who take it seriously, closely associated with context.

'The notion of  ‘set and setting’, popularised by Timothy Leary, is widely accepted in psychedelic communities; it refers to how emotions, expectations and environment can have an enormous impact on psychedelic experiences. Ongoing research focuses on how factors like music and nature can influence psychedelic experiences.

'But people who are experiencing psychosis are often met with restraint, seclusion and, far too often, violence

'No parallel concept similar to ‘set and setting’ exists in psychosis research, which continues to search for the elusive physiological Substance-M. 

Questions related to how psychosis is shaped by beliefs, culture, environments or relationships are rarely asked within psychiatry. Instead, the focus is largely on what causes psychosis and how it can be reduced, rather than what contextual features might give rise to more difficult or more positive experiences of psychosis.'

Extracted from an essay in Aeon by Phoebe Friesen, philosopher and medical ethicist.

I wonder how much connection there is between psychiatry psychology, psychiatrists & psychologists and psychosis...

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