Tripping in “Non-Place”: Emplacement, Religious Freedom, and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?

This research is motivated by the recognition that the therapeutic potential of psychedelic- assisted therapy can be significantly enhanced by integrating culturally and historically meaningful environments, a concept known as “emplacement”. This approach resonates with broader discussions on the importance of place in religious practices, particularly in non-Western cosmologies where place may serve as an axis mundi. Historically, the U.S. government has struggled to recognize and protect emplaced religious practices, such as those of Native American communities, due to a legal framework that overlooks the centrality of place in Indigenous religious traditions. Vine Deloria Jr.’s work highlights these challenges, noting how Western legal frameworks have historically marginalized the significance of place in Native American religions. This oversight has broader implications for religious freedom, particularly in the context of RFRA, which has been pivotal in protecting the use of psychoactive substances in religious contexts. 

In recent years, psychedelic-assisted therapy has emerged as a promising approach for addressing severe mental health challenges such as treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. The goal of this therapy is to facilitate profound transformations that significantly reduce symptoms, leading to sustained improvements in mental health outcomes. Central to this approach is the concept of “set and setting,” which emphasizes the interplay between a patient’s mindset and the therapeutic environment. However, current clinical applications often prioritize standardized settings over culturally meaningful environments, potentially undermining the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. This paper critiques these limitations and advocates for integrating “emplacement” into therapy design, highlighting the importance of environments that foster meaning-making and personal transformation. 

Psychedelic-assisted therapy has gained attention for its potential in facilitating profound existential and spiritual experiences. The biopsychosocial framework of “set and setting” emphasizes the importance of both the patient’s mindset and the physical and social environment in shaping therapeutic outcomes. Despite its potential, the application of set and setting in clinical settings often falls short due to standardized protocols and RCTs, which prioritize controlling extraneous variables over relational and cultural dimensions. This limitation is further underscored by the extended mind thesis, which posits that cognitive processes extend beyond the brain into the environment, and cognitive ecology, which highlights the role of social and cultural contexts in shaping cognition. By exploring how emplacement can enhance therapeutic outcomes, this paper informs discussions about RFRA’s potential to protect religious uses of psychedelics in culturally significant settings, aligning with broader debates on the role of place in religious and therapeutic contexts. 

Deloria’s Critique of Western Legal Frameworks and RFRA 

Deloria’s work on Native American religions and U.S. law provides a critical lens through which to examine the challenges of recognizing emplaced religious practices. Deloria argued that Western legal frameworks often fail to comprehend the significance of place in indigenous spiritual traditions, leading to inadequate protection of sacred sites and practices. While RFRA has been instrumental in safeguarding certain religious uses of psychoactive substances, such as peyote in the Native American Church, it does not fully address the deeper structural issues Deloria identified. Specifically, RFRA’s focus on individual religious freedom may not adequately account for the communal and spatial aspects of indigenous religious practices, which are deeply tied to specific landscapes and cultural contexts. This paper’s exploration of emplacement in psychedelic-assisted therapy offers insights into how therapeutic environments can be designed to respect and reflect the cultural and historical significance of place, potentially informing broader discussions about how RFRA might better support emplaced religious practices. 

The Problem of “Non-Places” 

Anthropologist Marc Augé’s concept of “non-places” refers to environments that lack relational, historical, or identity-related significance. These spaces, common in clinical settings, are designed to be neutral and interchangeable but may hinder therapeutic rapport by failing to engage patients’ cultural and personal identities. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) protocol, for instance, recommends treatment rooms that resemble comfortably furnished living rooms, aiming for a sense of safety but potentially neglecting the richness of place that is integral to human experience and spiritual exploration. 

Extended Mind Theory and Cognitive Ecology

The extended mind thesis challenges traditional views of cognition by positing that cognitive processes extend beyond the brain into the environment. This perspective suggests that therapeutic environments should not be seen as passive backdrops but as active participants in shaping thought, memory, and emotional states. Cognitive ecology further emphasizes the importance of social and cultural contexts in cognitive processes, highlighting the need for therapeutic environments that reflect patients’ communal, cultural, and historical identities, thereby facilitating deeper meaning-making and spiritual connection. Emplacement in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Emplacement, a concept rooted in anthropological discourse, refers to the relationship between individuals and the places they inhabit. In the context of psychedelic-assisted therapy, emplacement involves designing therapeutic environments that resonate with patients’ cultural, historical, and personal experiences. This approach can enhance rapport and trust, essential for positive therapeutic outcomes, and foster environments that support profound existential and spiritual reflections. By integrating emplacement into therapy design, clinicians can create environments that are not merely aesthetically pleasing but also meaningful and transformative, allowing patients to connect with their deeper selves and the world around them. 

Conclusion 

This research on emplacement in psychedelic-assisted therapy offers insights into the importance of culturally and historically meaningful environments in therapeutic settings. By highlighting the limitations of standardized environments and advocating for more nuanced approaches to therapeutic environmental design, this paper contributes to broader discussions about the role of place in religious and therapeutic contexts. These discussions have significant implications for how religious freedom is understood and protected, particularly in cases involving psychoactive substances and emplaced religious practices. The intersection of these themes with RFRA and historical religious policy underscores the relevance of this research to ongoing debates about the legal recognition of meaningful places in religious contexts. By exploring how emplacement can enhance therapeutic outcomes, this paper also informs discussions about the potential for RFRA to protect religious uses of psychedelics in culturally significant settings.