Challenging the 'male crisis' through mystical experience, meaning-making, and ontological shock.
Today's psychedelic revival happens while men face challenges:
Men's issues, ranging from chronic unemployment to personal violence, cost the USA alone $500billion annually (Seidler et al., 2017). Three times more men's lives end in “deaths of despair” (Pattee & Farber, 2008). Male suicide is a global concern (Naghavi, 2016). Attaining Western standards denoting successful masculinity is less likely now: plus, once achieved, any status is more “precarious” to maintain, effecting male health (Vandello et al., 2023).
Trends like infantilisation suggest a need for male role models (Reeves, 2022). But who? Norms ever evolve – masculinity too (Bridges & Pascoe 2014; Connor et al, 2021). Besides socially desirable feminised approaches, fresh male archetypes are emerging (Reeves, 2022; Walsh, 2010) alongside the psychedelic revival (Springer, 2023). Some adopt spiritual and mystic approaches to issues presented by the 'male crisis', helping redefine notions of success and meaning.
Psychedelic experiences cater for men's spiritual and wellbeing needs:
Psychedelic treatments, considered promising by healthcare, share characteristics with therapeutic approaches recommended for men (Seidler et al., 2023). Spiritual characteristics of the psychedelic experience played a major role in mental health breakthroughs among patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) in medical trials (Griffiths, 2006; McDaniel, 2017; Palitsky et al., 2023).
Psychedelics aside, men seek to address spiritual needs in general (Men's Health, 2020; The Guardian, 2022; NHS, 2022; THEOS, 2022). But more men leave clinical mindfulness programs before completion (Landau & Jones 2021), plus men benefit less from them overall (Ford et al, 2020). However, schoolboys engaged more successfully with adapted mindfulness programs (Kang, 2018) suggesting tailored masculine approaches have some potential to improve services.
‘Meaning-making’, a sense of direction or purpose, is believed key to men's mental health (Brown et al., 2023). It's among masculine needs shown to benefit from the psychedelic experience, which also include improvements in senses of connection, self-compassion, embodiment and enchantment (Ko et al., 2022; Rabinowitz, 2017; Seidler et al., 2023). Defined as a sense of purpose, ‘Meaning-making’ can also be stimulated by spiritual and religious practices (Park, 2013), arguably especially so in conjunction with psychedelics.
Psychedelic ceremonies with spiritual themes (like ayahuasca rituals) attract and retain higher proportions of men than therapy services (Palmer & Maynard, 2022). Archaeological evidence of psychedelic use in South America dates to 3500BC. Clinical frameworks for integrating spiritual and religious beliefs emerging from, or prior to, psychedelic therapies are already in use (Kamboj et al, 2015; Sjöstedt-Hughes, 2023).
Psychedelic experiences illuminate mystical paths to modern manhood:
Sanitised ‘new age’ spiritualities fail men just like simplistic therapy narratives do (Spiers, 2022). Organically-acquired faith in, for example, Amerindian cosmology adapted during ayahuasca use, personal Christian adaptations, or the neo-pagan revival, can claim theological authenticity (Whitehead & Letcher, 2023) – especially in comparison to consumer-driven new age platitudes.
‘Shamanism’ is a problematic Western construct, but psychedelic heritage almost always refers to visionary tradition (Williams et al., 2022). A localised example is the visionary poet and artist William Blake (Jerusalem, The Tyger) used by clinical psychologist Carol Leader (2015) to guide clients in a manner similar to Jung's ‘active imagination’ combining clinical standards with intuitive methods.
Extensive popularity of the Dune movies for example shows wider interest in complex, subjective, spiritual philosophies (Crickmore, 2023). Evolutionary psychologists suggest ritual participation increases placebo effects and mating chances, plus cultivates senses of belonging and community connection (Boyer, 2001; Kettner et al., 2019; Nesse & Williams 1994; via Orsolini et al., 2017).
Amazonian animist tradition insists on localised relational cosmologies, supporting heterodox, personal, and authentically Western interpretations of psychedelic animism – encouraging diversity (Bournemann et al 2021; Engel et al 2022; Thal et al., 2022; Turkia 2022; Stengers & Bononno, 2010). Existing animist tendencies include Westerners naming and relating to EG their favoured automobiles (Doroud et al., 2018; Harvey, 2019).
“For us, there is no spring: just the wind that smells fresh before a storm.”
— Conan the Barbarian (Cited in Conference Paper)
Psychedelic spirituality encourages positive identity development:
Psychedelics aid confusion around identity and social roles during ‘liminal times’ (Bhatt & Wiseman, 2024; Roseman et al., 2021). Under psychedelics men can examine male stereotypes, developing new strategies on individual terms (Petersen et al., 2022). Interpretations of nature religions like modern druidry provide inspiration (Feraro, 2022, 2023a & 2023b).
A decolonised psychedelic framework permits the exploration of concepts, identities, strategies and cognition outside of rigid, Western, post-Enlightenment dualism (Hauskeller et al., 2023). However, currently, ritual psychedelic approaches are only available through traditional or ‘underground’ practitioners (Hauskeller et al., 2023; Whitehead & Letcher, 2023).
‘Decolonisation of the self’ is a lifelong process of growth, towards a personal vision, aligning values and relationships (Matahela & van Rensburg 2023; Shields, 2008). Decolonisation initiatives amongst South African hospital workers led to wider appreciation and wiser choices (Jooste & Frantz 2017) – AKA ‘sense making’ an external form of ‘meaning-making’ also sought after amongst Western men.
Indigenous values seen as desirable to some men also include primacy of ‘knowledge how’ or first hand experience (Dev, 2018), supported by cognitive science (Wallis 2008; Devitt 2011; Roth & Cummins 2011). Psychedelic tradition also promotes masculine values correlating with widespread prosocial norms: for example ‘Heart’ in a neo-shamanistic context equates to authenticity and sincerity (Hill, 2015).
Challenging psychedelic experiences men experience – and create:
The same authority that criminalised psychedelic use, because it caused insanity and social withdrawal, now intends psychedelics as cures to a mental ill health crisis (Hauskeller, 2023). Traditionally, pharmacology demonises alternative approaches to clinically approved drug treatment (Langlitz et al., 2023), which could include those appropriate for men and/or spiritual exploration, which remain hard to access.
The perceived ‘super-natural’ aspects of clinical psychedelic experience require better management (Carharrt-Harris & Friston, 2019; Yaden, 2020). Current fallout caused by experimentation might include ‘fake’ Western ‘shamans’ (Churchill, 2010; Singh, 2018), plus abuse uncovered at underground ceremonies, and during major Western clinical trials (Peluso et al., 2020).
Psychedelic spirituality may not provide all the answers for men:
‘Peak’ psychedelic experiences with mystical character are linked to the most beneficial treatment results (Griffiths, 2006). But occasions are rarer than understood: we must avoid the emerging tendency to chase, demand, or mandate ‘mystical experience’ (Ko et al., 2022). A further example of platitudinous jargon, but from beyond established research, could be popular male interpretations of a ‘divine feminine’ energy offering opportunities to ‘spiritually bypass’ personal and social behaviour changes (Crane, 2022; Erlam, 2019; Yakushko, 2021).
Goodwill towards psychedelic cultures will inevitably fade (Harvey & Wilkinson, 2007; Yaden et al., 2022) and tensions fester as social norms violated (Petersen et al., 2022). The “negative externalities of luxury communism,” may currently appear inescapable (Davis, 2010; Fisher, 2011 & 2022). Within, personal mystical development is not a consideration to a financial system that so keenly seeks opportunity (Ouma & Premchander, 2022).
How psychedelics can benefit more men:
Inexperienced WEIRD (‘western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic’) clinicians present challenges to widespread engagement (Nielson & Guss, 2018; Phelps, 2017 & 2019). Black disengagement, for example, may or may not be due to cultural unfamiliarity (Smith et al., 2021) or racial disconnect (George et al., 2020). UK thought leaders claim positive results with diverse male youth groups using bottom-up approaches (Springer, 2023). Men with conventional social networks may encounter challenges accessing unofficial fringe, or non-local, psychedelic services (Smith, 2024). How should psychedelic ceremony be tailored for conventional Western tastes, if at all? Further study is required.
Major Western research labs are reluctant to explore ‘woo-woo’ spirituality (Carharrt-Harris & Friston, 2019; Cheung & Yaden, 2024). So how will it replicate the forca found in traditional group ritual (Sadowska, 2020 & 2022), and consequently the mystical elements the same labs consider key to benefits? Diverse psychedelic approaches are required to fulfil any clinical potential (Thal et al., 2023).
From: Psychology and the Other, Boston College, Northeastern University, London 2024
‘How Psychedelic Treatments Can Help Men Engage with Spirituality’
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