Abstract

Moderated by: Marvin Däumichen, M.A.

The increased interest in psychedelic experiences reaches beyond the treatment room. While psychedelic-assisted therapies appear to become mental health treatments to alleviate suffering in patients, many other forms of engaging with psychedelic experiences are blossoming as well. There are numerous claims in regards to how psychedelic experiences might change individuals, and their alleged potential to “subvert” society was one of the reasons why access to psychedelic substances is heavily restricted in many countries nowadays. However, the way that psychedelic experiences are affecting personalities and their surrounding environments is not clear. As it seems their content and implications are heavily influenced by the situational and cultural context they are embedded in. How exactly is individual change connected to context though? And are personal and societal transformations also connected? Does the enculturation of psychedelic experiences necessarily imply a “transformation” of society? Or could psychedelic experiences become just another asset of hyper-individualized lifestyles? The panel will debate the role of psychedelic experiences on the threshold between personal and societal change.