Psychedelics in the age of reproducibility: Reflections on aura, set and setting and the medicalization of mystical-type experiences
This 2026 paper published in the International Journal of Drug Policy is a reflective commentary, which explores the inherent conflict between scientific standardisation and the subjective nature of psychedelic therapy.
Psychedelics induce transformative experiences leading to lasting changes in attitudes and behaviour, with outcomes depending on both pharmacological factors and the context of the experience (‘set and setting’), marking a paradigm shift in mental health treatment. As psychedelics transition from traditional contexts to clinical settings, tension emerges between authenticity and standardization. This article uses Walter Benjamin’s concept of “aura” (The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction) to examine what may be lost or gained when psychedelic experiences are removed from original contexts and reproduced in institutional settings. We explore how set and setting contribute to authenticity, analyse medicalization’s implications, examine the roles of ritual and commodification, and propose ways to integrate traditional context with clinical approaches to preserve psychedelics’ transformative potential.
Comments -
The central theme is the challenge of enforcing reproducibility the foundation of rigorous modern science on the complex, highly individualized effects of psychedelics. The authors reflect that while science demands quantifiable, replicable results, the therapeutic power of psychedelics is often tied to an unquantifiable, unique, and subjective experience.
The article argues that crucial, non-pharmacological factors are being marginalized by the push for standardization:
Set and Setting: The patient's mindset and the environment are considered primary drivers of the experience's outcome. The paper warns that minimizing these elements for the sake of standardized protocols risks losing therapeutic efficacy.
The "Aura": This concept highlights the unique, ineffable, and spiritual or sacred quality of the psychedelic state that is impossible to control for or measure scientifically, yet remains vital to the potential for transformation.
Critiques the trend toward the medicalization of mystical-type experiences. The authors caution that reducing these profound, subjective states to mere pharmacological events or measurable clinical endpoints:
Devalues the Experience: It strips away the deeper, non-clinical, and often spiritual significance of the experience.
Forces Protocol Overreach: It attempts to standardize an inherently fluid and individualized healing process, potentially limiting genuine, unscripted therapeutic breakthroughs.
Simon et al (2026) Psychedelics in the age of reproducibility: Reflections on aura, set and setting and the medicalization of mystical-type experiences. International Journal of Drug Policy Volume 147, January 2026, 105074 ISSN 0955-3959, View paper
For more psychedelic news and research, visit the psychedelic health professional network homepage.