Therapeutic benefit versus epistemic risk: Need for empirical research in psychedelic epistemology

Abstract

This paper highlights the ethical and epistemic challenges posed by psychedelic therapy and vindicates the importance of epistemology in the clinical and psychotherapeutic setting. Despite their relative physiological and psychological safety, these substances can induce changes in the beliefs of those who use them, such as paranormal beliefs. To explain the changes in beliefs, we introduced the concept of epistemic criteria (i.e., the principles individuals use to validate and justify their beliefs) and hypothesized that psychedelics may alter beliefs by modifying epistemic criteria. Further research should be conducted to determine this potential and under-researched risk of psychedelic therapy.