In this episode, Joe and Kyle discuss the difference contexts of psychedelic use:
- Therapeutic
- Recreational
- Psychospiritual & Self-Discovery
- Ceremonial & Shamanic
While these categories can be flexible and sometimes merge into one another, we thought that it would be important to give context to the variety of experiences. As MAPS has just received “Breakthrough Therapy” status on the MDMA-assisted psychotherapy research, this is an exciting time for research and therapeutic use of a powerful medicine. However, there may be some confusion about how the therapeutic approach is different from some of these other contexts and ways of using psychedelics. While we believe that all contexts are valid or legitimate and each carry their own risk/benefit, we thought that it would be helpful and fun to talk about our views about this subject.
If you want to learn more about navigating the psychedelic experience or learn more about safety guidelines for these different contexts, check out our new online course, “Navigating Psychedelics: Lessons on Self-Care & Integration.”
