Changing minds: mapping out the bioethical dimensions of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy

The medicinal use of psychedelic drugs is currently being trialled in mental health treatment, but has a number of challenging 'side-effects' which go well beyond those typically witnessed with new medicines. Following psychedelic drug administration, people can become more prosocial, and undergo long-lasting changes to religious belief, personality and political values - facets which many take to be central to their identity. However, no sustained investigation of ethical dimensions of these 'side-effects' has taken place. After developing a theoretical account of these changes within the framework of medical ethics, I will refine that work by conducting novel empirical work investigating how patients and practitioners experience and understand these changes, and their relation to the therapeutic process. The project will not only motivate a reevaluation of the role of spirituality in psychiatry, but also challenge the traditional distinction between therapy and enhancement in medicine, with implications for policymakers setting clinical guidance.