A Heuristic Approach: Against Consensus Definitions of Psychedelics

The field of psychedelic research and therapy is growing at an unprecedented rate, as is the need for shared terminology to allow for coherent conversations about these medicines. However, proclaiming consensus definitions at the present time may be a premature closure, limiting the possibility of what psychedelics can teach about the mind and brain.

Our goal in this piece is to weigh the risks and benefits of proclaiming a consensus definition and suggest as an alternative a framework for the way data and knowledge are acquired about psychedelic medicines.

We propose that psychedelics be thought of as heuristic tools, directing scientists to further investigate and form novel theories about the mind-brain. The advent of the modern tools of data science makes it possible to heuristically characterize the vast landscape of psychedelic variables-molecular biology, physiology, phenomenology, psychology, ceremony, and more. Instead of prematurely proclaiming consensus, the psychedelic field can use modern computational tools to iteratively reapproach definitions and categories, rendering them more rigorous and reproducible.