Building Psychedelic Studies as an Interdisciplinary Academic Field: Its Urgency and Its Challenges

Abstract

The field of psychedelic studies is expanding at a rapid pace and the need for academic institutions to engage more directly with this emergent field is growing. There have been some initial moves within the academy to begin tackling this evolving landscape, but these efforts have been relatively siloed along traditional disciplinary lines. Academic inquiry helps shape our collective engagement with–and understanding of–the world around us. An interdisciplinary approach to psychedelic studies is essential for building our understanding of the potential of psychedelics for human healing and flourishing, and for ensuring an inclusive, holistic and sustainable evolution of this field. This paper explores the intersection of psychedelic studies and interdisciplinarity, and calls for more interdisciplinarity in academia’s institutional and cultural approach to engaging with this complex and dynamic field.