By: Johan Tocre
✳️ WARNING: Sensitive Topic ✳️
The resurgence of interest in psychedelic substances for therapeutic and spiritual (religious) purposes has brought forth a concerning trend: the rise in reported cases of sexual assault within psychedelic settings.
The altered state induced by these powerful substances can make participants highly suggestible and less able to recognize or resist inappropriate behavior, leading to exploitative situations.
Part of these are the “preparatory” coaching sessions which tend to focus on digging deep into the sexual trauma experienced by the participants in order to feel comfortable with the topic of sex. What follows are manipulative phrases and use of terminology that sounds soothing and empathetic to the participant.
Factors contributing to this issue include the underground nature of many psychedelic ceremonies, which operate outside regulatory oversight, and the authority imbued in facilitators within the ceremonial context. A majority of facilitators are not locals but rather foreign individuals that claim to have been initiated, trained and welcomed into a local indigenous tribe and now possess the healing powers of the medicine man. Victims often face barriers to reporting due to fear of legal repercussions and a lack of understanding about consent in altered states.
A lot of these cases happen overseas in isolated places (retreats) where crime reporting works differently and it would require for the traveler to prolong their stay in the foreign country and impose more financial burden and psychological stress.
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