Explorations in set and setting

Abstract

The concept of set and setting recurs throughout the literature on psychedelics. Some consider it the single most important concept in psychedelic science and practice. Fundamentally, it refers to the profound context-dependncy of psychedelic drug effects. These effects can be heavenly or infernal, and may veer towards the spiritual, the innovative, the psychotherapeutic, the psychodisruptive, the creative, the political, the ecological or the corporeally embodied – depending on the user’s mindset (set) and the external environment (setting). But why did the concept of set and setting emerge specifically within psychedelic science? How is it related to their signature effects? How does it relate to the placebo response? How can set and setting be measured? And how can the concept contribute to broader discussions in psychiatry and healthcare? This talk will exmaine the concept of set and setting and explore the many ways  it can inform our thinking on psychedelics and wellbeing.

Biography

Ido Hartogsohn is an assistant professor in the Graduate Program in Science Technology and Society at Bar Ilan University. His research focuses on the role of set and setting in shaping the effects of psychedelic drugs. Hartogsohn's book American Trip: Set, Setting and  the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century was published with MIT press (2020).