The meaning-enhancing properties of psychedelics and their mediator role in psychedelic therapy, spirituality, and creativity
Open accessAbstract
Past research has demonstrated to the ability of psychedelics to enhance suggestibility, and pointed to their ability to amplify perception of meaning. This paper examines the existing evidence for the meaning-enhancing properties of psychedelics, and argues that the tendency of these agents to enhance the perception of significance offers valuable clues to explaining their reported ability to stimulate a variety of therapeutic processes, enhance creativity, and instigate mystical-type experiences. Building upon previous research, which suggested the potential role of psychedelic meaning-enhancement in enhancing placebo response, the paper explores the mechanisms by which the meaning-amplifying properties of psychedelics might also play a role in enhancing creativity, as well as in effecting mystical-type experiences. The wider social and public-health implications of this hypothesis are discussed, and suggestions are made as to the various ways in which scientific understanding of the meaning-enhancing properties of psychedelics might be advanced and utilized.
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The ayahuasca experience could bring new information to the foreground to enrich the therapeutic process, providing an opportunity to transform maladaptive narratives about oneself, other people, or the world.
“The ayahuasca experience, therefore, could bring new information to the foreground to enrich the therapeutic process, providing an opportunity to transform maladaptive narratives about oneself, other people (including the deceased) or the world (56, 57).”
From Ayahuasca-assisted meaning reconstruction therapy for grief: a non-randomized clinical trial protocol (2025) · cites this paper as [57]
The Discussion (no page given) says that psychedelics’ meaning-enhancing effects might assist therapy, and the paper describes them as making mental phenomena more salient. It does not establish that ayahuasca specifically brings new information forward or transforms maladaptive narratives about oneself, others (including the deceased), or the world. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHuman ability to meaningfully relate and authentically appreciate experiences is contingent on myriad factors of everyday life.
“human ability to meaningfully relate and to authentically appreciate experiences is contingent on myriad factors of everyday life”
From Authenticity and Love Drugs: Insights from Psychedelic Therapy (2026) · cites this paper as Hartogsohn 2018
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“The ayahuasca experience, therefore, could bring new information to the foreground to enrich the therapeutic process, providing an opportunity to transform maladaptive narratives about oneself, other people (including the deceased) or the world (56, 57).”
Authenticity and Love Drugs: Insights from Psychedelic Therapy
Thomas, O., & Silva, F. (2026) · AJOB Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/21507740.2025.2517007
- Authors
- Hartogsohn, I.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hartogsohn, Ido
- ORCID
- Hartogsohn, Ido
- Venue
- Frontiers in Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2018-03-06
- Volume
- 12
- Pages
- 129-129
- ISSN
- 1662-453X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5845636
- OpenAlex
- W2790381919
- Cited by
- 229
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 12.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Frontiers in Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- psychedelics, suggestibility, placebo response, creativity, mystical experience, spirituality, psychedelic therapy, mediating mechanisms
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