Do Psychedelics Really Mimic Psychosis? with Dr. Haley Dourron

Psychedelics and psychosis have long been intertwined. Historically, psychedelics were more often called ‘psychotomimetics’ or compounds that temporarily mimic the symptoms of psychosis. But today, rather than modelling psychopathology, psychedelics are more often viewed as therapeutic tools in psychiatry. But this creates a paradox in modern psychedelic science: psychedelics are being studied both as tools to treat certain mental health symptoms (e.g., depression) and also as a model to mimic other mental health symptoms (psychosis)? So, are psychedelic experiences truly comparable to psychosis, or is this an oversimplification? What are the mechanisms that make psychedelics ameliorate certain mental illness symptoms and simulate others? In this episode of The Integration Session Dr. Haley Dourron, postdoctoral researcher at Linköping University in Sweden, shares her qualitative and neurobiological research on the similarities and critical distinctions between psychedelic experiences and psychotic states. Drawing directly from the voices of individuals with lived experience of both, Dr. Dourron’s work challenges long-standing assumptions, raises critical questions about participant exclusion in clinical trials, and informs how we think about risk, safety, and mechanisms in psychedelic science.