Psychedelics and Individuation - by Leslie Stein & Lionel Corbett (Paperback)

About the Book

"Are we entering into a brave new world of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy that will radically affect the way we understand the unconscious, or are we chasing a will-o-the wisp, an illusory promise of rapid success without the painstaking work required of careful psychoanalysis? This book of essays by Jungian analysts entertains this question in detail. Based on extensive clinical and personal experience of the place of psychedelic agents in psychotherapy, the contributors debate the issues and try to clarify the correct use of these compounds, without either idealizing their use or dismissing them as artificial substitutes for the real thing. This book seeks to map this terra incognita, especially with reference to the practice of Jungian psychotherapy"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Are we entering into a brave new world of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy that will radically affect the way we understand the unconscious, or are we chasing a will-o-the wisp, an illusory promise of rapid success without the painstaking work required of careful psychoanalysis?

This book of essays by Jungian analysts entertains this question in detail. Based on extensive clinical and personal experience of the place of psychedelic agents in psychotherapy, the contributors debate the issues and try to clarify the correct use of these compounds, without either idealizing their use or dismissing them as artificial substitutes for the real thing.

This book seeks to map this terra incognita, especially with reference to the practice of Jungian psychotherapy.

Essays by: Lionel Corbett, Romano Màdera, Nancy Swift Furlotti, Murray Stein, Aurea Afonso Caetano, Miriam Stein & Anne Flynn, Jerome Braun, Deborah Bryon, Walter Boechat & Ana Luisa Teixeira de Menzies, Marcel van den Akker, Leslie Stein, Renée Cunningham, John R. White, James A. Fidelibus, Felicia Matto-Shepard, Susan Williams, Linda Carter & I. Joseph McFadden.

Review Quotes

"The recent return of psychedelic compounds to legitimate research raises a host of questions about the therapeutic application of the drugs and the interpretation of the experiences they provoke. The papers in this volume offer important insights into the possibly unique contribution Jung's system of analytical psychology can make to addressing these questions. Reflecting a deep appreciation of the complexity of psychedelic experience and a nuanced understanding of Jung, this volume will be essential reading as the field of psychedelic psychotherapy continues to develop."

-George B. Hogenson, Ph.D., Senior Training Analyst, Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts; Past Vice President, International Association for Analytical Psychology

"All experience is translated into biochemistry. In what way is that venue a new modality for depth psychological material, and in what way does it cross ethical guidelines that have served well for so many years? This thoughtful collection of perspectives brings a Jungian lens to the question, and opens the door for more differentiated inquiry among therapists."

James Hollis, Ph.D. is a Jungian analyst in Washington, D.C., and author of numerous books, most recently, A Life of Meaning.