Select Foundational Sources

Select Foundational Sources on the Science of Psychedelic Medicine. For a layperson (and many scientists as well), the starting point is still Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind (2018). The science of MDMA-assisted therapy (and the policy around it) is well-captured in I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World (2023), by journalist Rachel Nuwer; also, the manual for therapists, from the organization MAPS: “A Manual for MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy in the Treatment of PTSD” (2015).

This book draws most heavily on the scientific studies testing psilocybin as a treatment for depression, and MDMA for the treatment of PTSD. The studies on psilocybin and depression include Carhart-Harris, R.L. et al (2016), Carhart-Harris, R.L. et al (2017), Carhart-Harris, R. et al. (2021); Davis AK, et al (2021); Gukasyan N, et al (2022); Goodwin GM et al (2022); Raison CL, et al (2023); Erritzoe et al. (2024). The landmark study revealing fMRI results: Carhart-Harris, R.L. et al. (2017). And this 2023 review of the field: And these reviews: (Haikazian S, et al, 2023); Yao et al (2024). 

For MDMA, the book focuses on the Phase 3 Clinical Trials, run by the organization MAPS, both published in Nature: “MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study” (Mitchell JM, Doblin R., 2021); “MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial (Mitchell JM, Doblin R., 2024).

Select Foundational Sources on the Cultural History of Psychedelic Medicine (Globally). For a global perspective on the deep history of psychedelics in ancient and traditional cultures, a key starting point is the paper, “Ancient Roots of Today’s Emerging Renaissance in Psychedelic Medicine”  (George,  et al, 2021). An authoritative and comprehensive guide is Christian Ratsch’s The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants. An incisive critique: “The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism,” by Evgenia Fotiou. 

Bridging science and history, these archaeological papers: “The Origins of Inebriation: Archaeological Evidence of the Consumption of Fermented Beverages and Drugs in Prehistoric Eurasia.” (Guerra-Doce, 2015); “Psychoactive Substances in Prehistoric Times: Examining the Archaeological Evidence” (Guerra-Doce, 2015); “How a Psychoactive Substance Becomes a Ritual: The Case of Soma” (Staal, 2001); “Hallucinogenic drugs in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures” (Carod-Artal, 2015)

In addition, these works on the use of the Medicine among indigenous communities in the Americas: Omer C. Stewart’s Peyote Religion: A History (1987); the paper, “Indigenous Supports for Recovery from Alcohol Abuse: The Native American Church” (Prue, 2013); and Jeremy Narby’s The Cosmic Serpant: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge (on Ayahuasca).

For the role of these medicines in Europe: William J. Broad’s The Oracle: Ancient Delphi and the Science Behind Its Lost Secrets (2007); Brian Muraresku’s The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name (2020); and The Road to Eleusis by Gordon Wasson, Albert Hoffman and Carla Ruck. Also the delightful paper, “Mandrake From Antiquity To Harry Potter”(van den Berg & Dircksen, 2008

Select Foundational Sources on the Cultural History of  Psychedelic Medicine (1960s) For the Psychedelic Revolution, in particular, Michael Pollan covers the history brilliantly in How to Change Your Mind. Then there’s the magazine article that (arguably) ignited it all: R. Gordon Wasson’s “Seeking the Magic Mushroom” in LIFE Magazine (May 13, 1957); along with Timothy Leary’s The Psychedelic Experience; Terence McKenna’s Food of the Gods; Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception; and Plants of the Gods: The sacred, healing and hallucinogenic powers (Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hoffman and Christian Ratsch.

Select Foundational Sources on the Science of Set and Setting. For a broad explanation of Set and Setting, and the elements considered essential in the field of psychedelic medicine, start with the manual for therapists, from the organization MAPS: “A Manual for MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy in the Treatment of PTSD” (2015). Several key papers for understanding Set and Setting, broadly, include  “30 Years of Psychedelic Research: The Spring Grove Experiment and its Sequels” (Yensen, et al, 1992); “Emotional breakthrough and psychedelics: Validation of the Emotional Breakthrough Inventory” (Roseman, et al, 2019); and “Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression” (Watts et al, 2017). 

For the role of music: This paper is widely considered essential reading, “The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy” (Kaelen, et al, 2017). Also the books of Daniel J. Levitin, including  I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine (2025) and This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession (2006). And this paper by Robin Dunbar, “The Origins and Function of Musical Performance” (Dunbar, 2023)

For the evidence that music played during surgery improves patient outcomes: “Music interventions in patients undergoing surgery: A systematic review using strict inclusion criteria.” (Geensen et al, 2025); “Effects of Perioperative Music Therapy on Patients with Postoperative Pain and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” (Li G et al, 2024); “Music as an aid for postoperative recovery in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis” (Hole, 2015).

For the role of preparation, intention, and the wise trusted guide — particularly in helping the patient to ‘heal themselves.’ Fabrizio Benedetti’s Placebo Effects: Understanding the other side of medical care (2021) is a remarkably readable text book, with extensive examples of the placebo effect in action. Dr. Andrew Weil’s classic Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body's Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself (2011) shares in layman’s terms much of the wisdom undergirding traditional medicine. Johann Hari’s Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression-- and the Unexpected Solutions (2018) speaks of our connection to nature, and to others, particularly around mental health. And Lisa Miller’s The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life ( 2021) speaks directly to the robust role of faith or belief we’re only beginning to grasp in the context of Western science.

For the role of aesthetic surroundings: Two books that speak to our growing understanding (from the Western perspective) on the power of “neuro-aesthetics”: From Susan Magsamen,and Ivy Ross, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us (2023. And from Denis Dutton, a different take, The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution (2010)

Select Foundational Sources of the Science of Indigenous and Traditional Healing (outside of psychedelics). Many, many sources contributed to an underlying understanding of the power of the wisdom system — the “Set and Setting” — alongside what we traditionally call “medicine” in the west. Among these: Virgil J. Vogel’s American Indian Medicine (1970); Dr. Qingcai Zhang and Yale Zhang’s Lyme disease and Modern Chinese Medicine;  June Gutmanis’s Hawaiian Herbal Medicine: Kahuna Laʻau Lapaʻau (1976, 2013); Patricia Gonzales’s Red Medicine: Traditional Indigenous Rites of Birthing and Healing; Jill Blakeway’s Energy Medicine: The Science and Mystery of Healing (2019); Dr. Andrew Weil’s Natural Health, Natural Medicine (2004);  Dr. Dean Ornish’s Love and Survival and Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases (with Anne Ornish (2019); Sacred Ceremony for a Sacred Earth: Indigenous Wisdom for Healing and Transformation (2025) from the Aniwa Council of Elders.