Christianity and Psychedelic Medicine: A Pastoral Approach

In recent years, researchers in the "psychedelic renaissance" have been reinvestigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical anxiety/depression, and addiction. Each of these has treatment-resistant cases, sometimes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Christian bioethics
Main Author: McCarthy, Bryan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Oxford University Press 2023
In: Christian bioethics
Year: 2023, Volume: 29, Issue: 1, Pages: 31-57
RelBib Classification:FA Theology
NCH Medical ethics
ZD Psychology
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:In recent years, researchers in the "psychedelic renaissance" have been reinvestigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical anxiety/depression, and addiction. Each of these has treatment-resistant cases, sometimes decades in the making, but studies employing psychedelics to address them are yielding impressive results. Given the evolving legal situation around these substances as well as corporate investment in them, their availability and appeal promise to increase. The question facing Christians is: How do these developments impact the theological significance of psychedelics as a broader phenomenon? This paper argues that since the population standing to benefit from these treatments is likely to include Christians, a thoughtful and rigorous response is necessary. The inquiry proceeds by analyzing some of the pertinent research, showing the insufficiency of previous Christian responses, and considering some hurdles and objections before issuing a call to theologize on this timely and important cultural moment.
ISSN:1744-4195
Contains:Enthalten in: Christian bioethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1093/cb/cbac008