Bridging Traditional Sacramental Use of Plant Medicine with Modern Clinical Models: A Comparative Analysis of Healing Approaches in Clinical Research and Ethnographic Case Studies in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Abstract

Psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health is a trending topic in scientific and academic circles. Mental health in the United States is a public health problem with increasing rates of clinical diagnoses and treatments failing to produce long-lasting results. Psychedelic-assisted therapy has been proven helpful for certain conditions based on preliminary evidence in clinical studies. However, there is more to the picture than clinical studies alone can capture. Depending on clinical evidence alone does not suffice in advancing our fledging understanding of how to best utilize these psychoactive substances to their fullest healing potential in clinical therapy spaces. By proving an analytical comparison between clinical studies and ethnographic studies on the psychedelic ritual, I argue for the future of psychedelic science to bridge the gap between traditional ceremonial uses and modern clinical models of application by continuing to research the variables of healing in ritual settings. As a result, the research has the potential to inform the ways in which clinical therapy can get modified going forward in specific ways: by introducing a group therapy option, greater tailoring of music to personal preference, and extending access to nature contact in a natural environment. In addition, modifying clinical training programs for the future of psychedelic-assisted therapists is also proposed and recommended.