In 2021, there’s no getting around it: more and more often, you read in the newspapers and hear on the news that scientists are working to unravel the mystical and therapeutic effects of psychedelics. Several recent studies have already shown that there is great potential in substances such as magic mushrooms, magic truffles, DMT, and mescaline. But one aspect remains unclear: the role of music in shaping these therapeutic experiences.
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Magic mushrooms and music
It’s actually quite simple: music has an incredible effect on us. Not only can it give us goosebumps or evoke countless emotions, but it also appears to have therapeutic benefits. Interestingly, virtually all psychedelic trials and therapy sessions include music, but a new study suggests that the playlists typically used by researchers and therapists may not be the most effective.
The impact of music on psychedelic experiences is not, in itself, a new discovery. It is believed that indigenous shamans around the world have long used music and sound to guide and manipulate their patients’ psychedelic and visionary trips. Anthropologist Marlene Dobkin de Rios famously described the music played by shamans in the Amazon region as a “jungle gym” that enables people to navigate their ayahuasca-induced hallucinations.
The fact that music has such a powerful effect on people is reason enough for psychedelic researchers to enhance their clinical studies with music. For example, neuroscientists at Imperial College London are even collaborating with various musicians to create playlists for use in psychedelic therapy sessions. The soundtrack has already been used in studies investigating the link between psilocybin and depression.
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Is classical music the way to go?
A magic mushroom trip while listening to Mozart or Bach might sound soothing. Yet a new study, published in the journal ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, claims that this music isn’t the best choice after all.
To conduct their research, the authors administered psilocybin to ten participants in an effort to help them quit smoking. Under the influence of the drug, patients listened to two different playlists, one consisting of Western classical music and the other of “overtone-based” sounds. Instruments such as gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, and didgeridoos were used, and the music often lacked any melodic structure.
Participants later filled out questionnaires regarding these two soundtracks. The results showed that the overtone-based playlist was slightly more effective than the Western classical playlist at generating “mystical experiences.”
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Or maybe hardstyle and rock...
Patients were then allowed to choose which of the two playlists they wanted to listen to during their next psilocybin therapy session, with six out of ten participants opting for the overtones. These individuals were also more successful at quitting smoking than those who chose the Western classical playlist. “These data raise doubts about whether Western classical music typically used in psychedelic therapy has a unique advantage,” the study’s authors explain in their article.
Although these findings thus cast some doubt on the exact songs that should be used during psychedelic therapy sessions, the importance of music in general is not in question. A number of fascinating studies have shown that music enhances the emotional and therapeutic effects of psychedelics, and that the combination of these two elements is far more effective than using psychedelics in silence.
In short: the next time you plan a nice magic truffle trip, don’t forget the playlist!
