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A psilocybin haven: the use of comparison to legitimate transgression at a psychedelic retreat.

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Title: A psilocybin haven: the use of comparison to legitimate transgression at a psychedelic retreat.
Authors: Dunell, Jesper (AUTHOR)
Source: Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy. Dec2025, Vol. 32 Issue 6, p672-680. 9p.
Subjects: Drugs of abuse laws, Edible mushrooms, Investigational drugs, Ethnology research, Fieldwork (Educational method), Interviewing, Participant observation, Field notes (Science), Hallucinogenic drugs, Psychological well-being, Rites & ceremonies, Thematic analysis, Conceptual structures, Medical coding, Individual development, Data analysis software
Geographic Terms: Sweden
Abstract: Background: Currently, there are great hopes for psychedelic substances in treating psychiatric conditions and improving well-being. These substances are illegal in many countries, and we lack knowledge of how conflicting discourses shape psychedelic use in naturalistic settings. This study explores how psilocybin use is made meaningful by participants and staff at a retreat including psychedelic ceremonies aimed at personal growth. Methods: Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted at a psychedelic retreat with participants from Sweden. The material was organized using Zinberg's model of drug, set, and setting. Theoretical work related to comparisons was utilized to elucidate how psilocybin use was distinguished from other illicit drug use. Results: The participants' desires to be fundamentally transformed, combined with the staff's staging of the setting as a haven primed the participants to approach psilocybin as an inherently benevolent substance. Positive experiences during the ceremonies were attributed to the substance, and negative experiences to personal shortcomings. Conclusions: The staff and participants combined different discourses to define the meaning of psilocybin, all of which condemned using it for purely recreational purposes. The psilocybin use at the retreat was considered an improvement and wholly unrelated to illegal drug use, dissociating this practice from such use to establish legitimate transgression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: A psilocybin haven: the use of comparison to legitimate transgression at a psychedelic retreat.
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  Data: Background: Currently, there are great hopes for psychedelic substances in treating psychiatric conditions and improving well-being. These substances are illegal in many countries, and we lack knowledge of how conflicting discourses shape psychedelic use in naturalistic settings. This study explores how psilocybin use is made meaningful by participants and staff at a retreat including psychedelic ceremonies aimed at personal growth. Methods: Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted at a psychedelic retreat with participants from Sweden. The material was organized using Zinberg's model of drug, set, and setting. Theoretical work related to comparisons was utilized to elucidate how psilocybin use was distinguished from other illicit drug use. Results: The participants' desires to be fundamentally transformed, combined with the staff's staging of the setting as a haven primed the participants to approach psilocybin as an inherently benevolent substance. Positive experiences during the ceremonies were attributed to the substance, and negative experiences to personal shortcomings. Conclusions: The staff and participants combined different discourses to define the meaning of psilocybin, all of which condemned using it for purely recreational purposes. The psilocybin use at the retreat was considered an improvement and wholly unrelated to illegal drug use, dissociating this practice from such use to establish legitimate transgression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/09687637.2024.2412636
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 9
        StartPage: 672
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Drugs of abuse laws
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Edible mushrooms
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Investigational drugs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethnology research
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      – SubjectFull: Fieldwork (Educational method)
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      – SubjectFull: Interviewing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Participant observation
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      – SubjectFull: Field notes (Science)
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      – SubjectFull: Hallucinogenic drugs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological well-being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rites & ceremonies
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      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Conceptual structures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical coding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Individual development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sweden
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A psilocybin haven: the use of comparison to legitimate transgression at a psychedelic retreat.
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            – D: 01
              M: 12
              Text: Dec2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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