Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40685956›Full record

ArticleBrain and behavior2025

Deconstructing Psychedelic Phenomenology: A Thematic Analysis of Discrete Phases of the Psychedelic Experience.

H T McGovern, L Bajo, G Hassed, R Hoefnagels, M Levey, N Rose, A De Foe, B T Hutchinson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

H T McGovernIMPACT - Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4050-6300
L BajoSchool of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
G HassedSchool of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
R HoefnagelsSchool of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
M LeveySchool of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
N RoseSchool of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
A De FoeSchool of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
B T HutchinsonSchool of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The phenomenology of psychedelic experiences has been a long-standing point of interest to researchers. However, internal experience has been relatively relegated, with much work done on the clinical outcomes of psychedelic therapies. Our reflexive thematic analysis revealed that structurally, people on fora write about their experiences sequentially, considering factors prior to (preparatory), during (acute phase), and after their account of ingesting psychedelics. Themes constructed prior to experience were (1) subjective knowledge and perception of psychedelics, (2) intention and efforts to mentally prepare, and (3) experiential aids. Generated themes during the experience were (1) sensory and cognitive distortions, (2) mindset and affective quality, and (3) environmental stability and support. Experiential impact on behavior and outlook was constructed as the unitary theme following the experience. Future work should look more closely at the role of set and setting within the context of the stages leading up to, during, and after psychedelic administration.

Indexed as

HallucinogensHumansHallucinogenseudaimoniaexperiencehealth psychologypsychedelicsqualitative methods

Identifiers

PMID40685956
PMCPMC12277650

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.