Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Essentials Series
An introduction to the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Essentials series
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) carries real promise. It also asks a great deal of everyone involved.
This is not a walk in the park. As beneficial as it can be, and research continues to suggest that it can be, the path can also be arduous, perilous, and thorny. Old maps warned travelers with the phrase hic sunt dracones—here be dragons. That image feels fitting here. Psychedelics can open doors to healing, insight, and transformation, but without adequate preparation, guidance, and integration, the same processes that may help can also harm.
This series is meant as a grounded orientation to PAT: what it is, what it is not, what makes it helpful, and what makes it risky. We will explore some of its core elements: set and setting, the medicine, intention, preparation, the guide, the participant, and integration; as well as the wider questions that surround them: ethics, relationship, culture, spirituality, and the humility this work requires.
To borrow a phrase from Rudolf Otto, psychedelics are a mysterium tremendum et fascinans; both fascinating and daunting. In that sense, they are a bit like fire, or perhaps a dragon: powerful, compelling, and never fully tamed. We do not master them so much as learn, with care and respect, how to work with them wisely. You can choose to befriend or confront a dragon; it will certainly impact your journey.
I write these reflections not as a detached observer, but as someone who has spent many years studying, teaching, and participating in this evolving landscape. My hope is simple: to serve as your guide, someone who knows the terrain, who can help you explore it more safely, point out what matters, and warn of the perils, so the path may feel clearer and steadier.
If you are new to this work, welcome. If you have been walking this path for some time, welcome as well. Either way, I hope these writings offer something useful for the journey.
Begin with: Here Be Dragons — why psychedelic-assisted therapy requires humility, preparation, and respect.
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