Skip the Trip? Five Arguments on the Use of Nonhallucinogenic Psychedelics in Psychiatry

Summary & key facts

This short ethics article, published in 2022 by Andrew Peterson and Dominic Sisti, asks whether psychiatry should use drugs that have the therapeutic effects of classic psychedelics but do not produce the hallucinatory “trip.” The authors present five arguments that weigh scientific, clinical, and moral issues. They review a debate about whether the conscious psychedelic experience is needed for lasting benefit, point out safety and setting issues found in psilocybin research, and raise questions about consent, patient choice, and what should count as standard medical care. The paper is a discussion piece, not a new clinical trial, meant to guide how researchers, doctors, and patients think about these possible “trip-free” medicines.

Key facts:

• The article is a commentary in a medical ethics journal that lays out five arguments for and against using nonhallucinogenic psychedelic drugs in psychiatry.
• Some researchers argue that the lasting therapeutic effects of psychedelics might not require the subjective hallucinatory experience, while other researchers argue the opposite. The paper highlights this active debate.
• The authors point to existing research showing that full psychedelic sessions can include difficult or challenging experiences and that safety guidelines and setting (the physical and social context) affect outcomes.
• Because setting and therapy matter in trials with psilocybin, removing the subjective experience could change how treatment must be delivered and studied.
• The paper raises ethical concerns about adopting a trip-free psychedelic as a standard of care before we know whether patients prefer it or whether it actually produces the same long-term benefits.

Abstract

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Topics

Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Law MEDLINE Political science Psychiatry Psychology

Substances

Psilocybin

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Depression Anxiety or worry Sadness or low mood