The Research Deficit and Expert Disagreement Regarding Music Selection for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

TL;DR

This paper highlights the lack of research on music selection for psychedelic therapy and suggests areas for future study.

Contribution

The paper critically reviews existing studies and identifies gaps in music selection guidelines for psychedelic assisted therapy.

Findings

Only three empirical studies have directly investigated music types for psychedelic assisted therapy.

Current guidelines for music selection in PAT have not significantly advanced since the 1970s.

Existing studies on music in PAT have important limitations and inconsistent findings.

Abstract

Prior research has determined that music plays a central
role in
psychedelic assisted therapy (PAT). While there is a general consensus
of the importance of music during PAT, there are only three empirical
studies published to date that directly investigate which type of
music might best support PAT. Importantly, no review to date has critically
analyzed these studies and identified the gaps. Careful examination
reveals these studies have important limitations and the findings
lack alignment with other publications and existing recommendations.
Additionally, our understanding of guidelines seems to be not much
different from when this research started in 1970. This paper summarizes
the common impacts of music during PAT, reviews what we know about
music selection and guidelines for PAT, and makes suggestions of priorities
for future research.

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