Music has been a constant feature in the use of psychedelics for centuries and has proven to be a key component in maximizing the therapeutic effects of these substances (Kaelen et al., 2015; O’Callaghan et al., 2020). It represents an effective way to evoke emotions (Kaelen et al., 2015) and supports participants in a nonverbal way, guiding and intensifying their experiences (Grof, 1980, cited in Kaelen et al., 2018). Some studies have shown that psychedelics increase emotional and psychological responsiveness to music (Barrett et al., 2018). However, studying this is particularly complex because of its subjective facets, and little is still known about the mechanisms of its impact on the brain and the properties that make music so crucial in a session.
The “classic” session model among professionals working with psychedelic-assisted therapy requires patients to recline on a couch or bed, focusing inward while listening to a music playlist designed specifically for the experience (Kaelen, 2018).
Music is exceptionally important in providing participants with deep access to their inner worlds, supporting the expression of intense emotions, and facilitating transformative experiences characterized by a sense of unity, transcendence, and profound meaning (O’Callaghan et al., 2020). Combined with psychedelics, music helps to release habitual controls, inviting us to surrender and access the unconscious mind. This offers great potential in therapeutic experiences, allowing for the resolution of emotional conflicts that would be difficult to achieve through verbal means alone (Lindegaard, 2023).
How music intensifies emotional responsiveness
Research shows that the use of psychedelics can make music seem more emotional, transforming it from a simple background to an active agent in therapy (Kaelen et al., 2018). A study by Kaelen et al. (2015) also reported that LSD intensifies the emotional impact of music, significantly increasing patients’ openness to the emotional messages it conveys, allowing them to connect with emotions or sensations that are typically inaccessible to them.
Music can therefore lead the therapeutic process by bringing deeply rooted emotions and memories within reach, sometimes marking a before and after in therapy.
This ability of music to evoke “emotional arousal,” coupled with changes in the brain’s mechanisms for emotional regulation (a common effect of psychedelics), allows patients to experience and process emotions with an intensity that is not normally achieved in a standard therapeutic setting.
This state of emotional amplification can enable the resolution of trauma, grief, or anxiety, and can even trigger mystical experiences or peaks, moments that are often considered the most therapeutically significant during psychedelic sessions (Kaelen et al., 2015).
Music selection
It is important to note that music selection plays a crucial role in shaping the therapeutic experience. Music influences human emotions, and in turn, patients may make their musical choices based on their emotions (Swaminathan & Schellenberg, 2015, cited in O’Callaghan et al., 2020) or even experience synesthesia, where they can “see” sounds or “feel” music (O’Callaghan et al., 2020). Therefore, therapists need to make conscious choices about music playlists, tailoring them to therapeutic intentions and the patient’s particular emotional experience.
Neuroscience of music and psychedelics
In the neurological realm, psychedelics and music activate similar brain regions associated with reward, emotion, and memory. Psychedelics such as LSD have been shown to modulate auditory perception, making music sound more vivid and emotionally meaningful (Barrett et al., 2018). The combination of music with a psychedelic-altered brain enhances mental imagery, emotional processing, and the personal meaning of music, which can facilitate moments of deep insight and healing.
Ultimately, it is through the integration of music into psychedelic therapy sessions that therapists can significantly enhance the emotional depth and transformative power of these treatments. Music is not just an addition to therapy, but one of the primary tools and a central component in the healing process.
For this reason, at Clinica Synaptica we highly value the use of music during sessions. We have a variety of playlists with different personalities and tones, designed by our clinical team. These can also be modified to personalize them to each patient’s process, making music a valuable tool as a therapeutic enhancer. Once you are familiar with the sessions and the ketamine experience, we also invite you to bring your own playlists to the sessions, as the creation and use of personally selected music can also be relevant to the therapeutic process. Without a doubt, music is a variable to pay attention to in psychotherapy assisted with ketamine and other psychedelics.
References
Barrett, F. S., Preller, K. H., & Kaelen, M. (2018). Psychedelics and music: neuroscience and therapeutic implications. International Review of Psychiatry, 1–13. doi:10.1080/09540261.2018.1484342
O’Callaghan, C., Hubik, D. J., Dwyer, J., Williams, M., & Ross, M. (2020). Experience of Music Used With Psychedelic Therapy: A Rapid Review and Implications. Journal of Music Therapy. doi:10.1093/jmt/thaa006
Kaelen, M., Barrett, F. S., Roseman, L., Lorenz, R., Family, N., Bolstridge, M., … Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2015). LSD enhances the emotional response to music. Psychopharmacology, 232(19), 3607–3614. doi:10.1007/s00213-015-4014-y
Kaelen, M., Giribaldi, B., Raine, J., Timmermann, C., Di Giovanni, G., Rodriguez, N., & Carhart-Harris, R. (2018). The hidden therapist: Evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy. Psychopharmacology, 235(2), 505–519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4820-5
Lindegaard T. (2023). Do Psychedelics Facilitate Emergence of Unconscious Psychological Processes?. Psychodynamic psychiatry, 51(3), 270–286. https://doi.org/10.1521/pdps.2023.51.3.270
