The acute subjective effects of psychedelics are responsive to users’ expectations and surroundings (i.e., “set and setting”). Accordingly, a great deal of thought has gone into designing the psychosocial context of psychedelic administration in clinical settings. But what theoretical paradigms inform these considerations about set and setting? Here, we describe several historical, sociological influences on current psychedelic administration in mainstream European and American clinical research settings, including: indigenous practices, new age spirituality from the 1960s, psychodynamic/psychoanalytic approaches, and cognitive-behavioral approaches. We consider each of these paradigms and determine that cognitive-behavioral therapies, including newer branches such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), have the strongest rationale for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy going forward. Our primary reasons for advocating for cognitive-behavioral approaches include, (1) they avoid issues of cultural insensitivity, (2) they make minimal speculative assumptions about the nature of the mind and reality, (3) they have the largest base of empirical support for their safety and effectiveness outside of psychedelic therapy. We then propose several concepts from cognitive-behavioral therapies such as CBT, DBT, and ACT that can usefully inform the preparation, session, and integration phases of psychedelic psychotherapy. Overall, while there are many sources from which psychedelic psychotherapy could draw, we argue that current gold-standard, evidence-based psychotherapeutic paradigms provide the best starting point in terms of safety and efficacy.

UC BERKELEY STUDENTS' PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCESA Qualitative Analysis By Dylan Earp T here has been an emergence in psychedelic science in recent years, in both basic and applied research. Clinical trials have shown psychedelic drugs to be exceptionally effective in treating psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, while other research suggests they may be effective in treating a range of other indications in the future. 1 Outside of the lab, study of illicit psychedelics and college students has shown that use of these drugs does not correlate with higher rates of mental health problems. 2 However, studies like these fail to understand the scope of students' experiences and may ignore potentially rich perspectives uncovered by qualitative methodologies. 3 Thus, I interviewed 10 students currently enrolled at UC Berkeley in order to understand their psychedelic drug experiences. I found that UC Berkeley students have a wide variety of rich experiences with these drugs, including: 1. empathogenic effects of "classic" psychedelics directed towards peers, 2. connectedness with nature, 3. healing from family trauma, 4. increasing authenticity, 5. continued use defined as a self-directed "journey," and 6. improving students' capacity for presence. Adverse reactions brought up by some interviewees included panic attacks, existential distress, and suicidal ideation. Overall, I found that naturalistic use of psychedelics by UC Berkeley students may occasion positive experiences worthy of future research.