Psychedelic Medicine: A Gateway to Resilience In Times of Polycrisis
Our times are marked by a convergence of interconnected global challenges, spanning environmental, social, and economic domains. This includes crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, social inequality, political polarization, and the ongoing impacts of war and the COVID-19 pandemic. This multifaceted crisis —often referred to as the "polycrisis"— demands comprehensive and collaborative solutions, as each challenge exacerbates the others, creating a complex web of interrelated problems. In the face of the polycrisis innovative approaches are essential for fostering resilience and equipping individuals and their communities with the capacities needed to navigate this complexity.
Among these approaches, I believe psychedelics emerge as a promising tool, because of the ways these medicines allow us to think. ‘Psychedelic thinking’ can often be characterized by enhanced feelings of interconnectedness, nature relatedness, enhanced cognitive flexibility, and the ability to navigate intensity while preserving agency. Can this - let’s say - upgrade in cognition, informed by psychedelics, contribute to building a foundation for individuals and their communities to confront and address the dire issues of our time?
Feelings of Interconnectedness:
Psychedelics have a profound impact on our subjective experiences, often leading to feelings of interconnectedness with others, nature, and the broader cosmos. This heightened sense of unity can be a transformative force, fostering empathy and a deep understanding of the interconnected web of existence. In the context of the polycrisis, a deep understanding of the interconnected web of problems can be fostered, and where collaborative and compassionate efforts are essential, the ability of psychedelics to evoke these feelings of interconnectedness can play a pivotal role in cultivating a sense of shared responsibility for the challenges we face.
Nature Relatedness:
Psychedelics, known for inducing profound alterations in perception, have demonstrated a unique ability to deepen our connection with nature. The experience of unity with the natural world during psychedelic journeys can cultivate a sense of reverence and reconnection. As the polycrisis unfolds, fostering a deepened relationship with nature is not just a poetic inclination but a practical necessity. By increasing nature relatedness, psychedelics offer us a renewed perspective on environmental stewardship, emphasizing the interdependence of ecological health with human well-being.
Cognitive Flexibility:
Navigating the polycrisis requires us to embrace cognitive flexibility—a capacity to adapt, innovate, and think beyond conventional boundaries, as well as hold multiple perspectives at once. Psychedelics, particularly medicines like psilocybin and LSD, have been linked to enhanced cognitive flexibility. These medicines induce states of heightened creativity and the dissolution of rigid thought patterns, allowing us to approach problems with fresh perspectives. In a world grappling with the complexities of climate change, social inequality, and technological disruption, the ability to think expansively and creatively is indispensable. Psychedelics, by promoting cognitive flexibility, become a catalyst for the innovation necessary to address the interwoven challenges of our time.
Navigating Intensity with Agency:
The polycrisis is characterized by intensifying challenges that can be emotionally overwhelming. Psychedelics often require us to navigate overwhelming experiences of emotion, memory, visions, etc. while preserving a sense of agency. In ceremonial and therapeutic settings, we are guided through our journeys, empowering us to confront deep-seated emotions and existential concerns. This capacity to navigate intensity is crucial for us as we face the overwhelming nature of the polycrisis. By facilitating a constructive engagement with intense emotions and existential questions, psychedelics become tools for personal and spiritual growth and resilience in the face of profound challenges.
Obviously, critics may raise concerns about the potential risks associated with psychedelics, emphasizing the need for responsible use and a supportive therapeutic context – as they should. In fact, with what we know about set and setting, responsible use of these medicines in right relationship with their traditional ways is likely to only further increase these capacities I’ve noted here.
In conclusion, psychedelics offer a unique pathway to developing the capacities needed to confront the complex problems of the polycrisis. By enhancing feelings of interconnectedness, nature relatedness, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to navigate intensity with agency, psychedelics become catalysts for the collective growth needed to foster resilience. In a world marked by uncertainty, embracing tools that foster adaptive thinking and deepened connections is imperative. The responsible integration of psychedelics into therapeutic and communal-exploratory practices may unlock new dimensions of human potential, providing us with the resilience to thrive amid the challenges of our interconnected and rapidly evolving world.