Nese Devenot - Psychedelic Identity Shift: Applications of Literary Close Reading ...

Psychedelic identity shifts in clinical trials are explored through literary close reading techniques. By analyzing participant reports from a psilocybin-assisted smoking cessation study, Neşe Devenot demonstrates how the language used in treatment manuals and guided imagery exercises profoundly shapes participant experiences and post-session narratives. These interventions often function as a framework that individuals adopt to interpret their experiences, potentially facilitating change by encouraging an identity shift from that of a smoker to a non-smoker. This research highlights how conceptual structures in therapy can significantly influence clinical outcomes, echoing concepts of suggestibility and set and setting. The findings argue that rigorous interdisciplinary study is needed to distinguish between chemical effects and those driven by symbolic suggestion, particularly as psychedelic treatments gain widespread adoption.