We launched the Challenging Psychedelic Experiences project in September 2022. We raised $100,000 in funding from two funders, neither of whom work in the psychedelic industry, both of whom requested to remain anonyous donors. We're seeking funding for 2024 - see our project pitch deck in the column on the left.
In January 2023, two of our team - Anna Lutkajtis and Jules Evans - published a qualitative study of short-term integration challenges following a psilocybin retreat. You can read that paper here.
We have recently closed our survey of difficult psychedelic experiences and what helps people recover from them, receiving 608 responses. We are analysing the results for a paper to be published in Spring 2023. We will begin doing qualitative interviews of some respondents in Spring 2023, for articles to be published in Autumn 2023.
One of our team, Ed Prideaux, is conducting an online survey about Hallucination Persistent Perception Disorder (HPPD). You can take part here.
Our team has an unrivalled track record of research on spiritual emergencies, difficult meditative experiences and psychedelic integration. Here's some of our research publication highlights:
Jules Evans
Evans, Jules (2017), The Art of Losing Control, Canongate Books
Evans, Jules and Read, Tim (Eds). (2020). Breaking Open: Finding a Way Through Spiritual Emergency . Aeon Books
Lutkajtis, A., & Evans, J. (2023). Psychedelic integration challenges: Participant experiences after a psilocybin truffle retreat in the Netherlands, Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 6(3), 211-221. doi: https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2022.00232
Dr David Luke:
Irvine, Alexander and Luke, David (2022), Apophenia, absorption and anxiety: evidence for individual differences in positive and negative experiences of Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptual Disorder. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 6 (2) . pp. 1-16 ISSN: 2559-9283 (Print), 2559-9283 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2022.00195).
Luke, David (2019), Otherworlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience., Aeon Books
Anna Lutkajtis
Lutkajtis, Anna. (2020). The Dark Side of Dharma: Meditation, Madness and Other Maladies on the Contemplative Path. Aeon Books.
Lutkajtis, Anna. (2021). Entity encounters and the therapeutic effect of the psychedelic mystical experience, Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 4(3), 171-178. Retrieved Aug 31, 2022, from https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/4/3/article-p171.xml
Lutkajtis, A., & Evans, J. (2023). Psychedelic integration challenges: Participant experiences after a psilocybin truffle retreat in the Netherlands, Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 6(3), 211-221. doi: https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2022.00232
Dr Katrina Michelle
Michelle, Katrina. (2017). Exploring Resistance to Spiritual Emergence: A Heuristic Inquiry. PhD submitted to Sofia University.
Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner:
Carhart-Harris et al (2021). Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for depression. New England Journal of Medicine. 384:1402-1411, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032994
Murphy et al (2022), Therapeutic alliance and rapport modulate responses to psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12:788155 DOI:10.3389/fphar.2021.788155
Dr Oliver Robinson
Michael, Pascal; Luke, David; Robinson, Oliver (2021), An encounter with the other: a thematic and content analysis of DMT experiences from a naturalistic field study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12: 720717 . pp. 1-20 1664-1078 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.720717).
Robinson, Oliver (2018). Paths Between Head and Heart: Exploring the Harmonies of Science and Spirituality. O Books.
In addition, our supervisory team includes psychologists and psychotherapists with field-leading experience in psychedelic therapy and spiritual emergencies, including Robin Carthart-Harris, Daniel Ingram, Nir Tadmor and Julieta Galante.