Jeff Breau explores how psychedelic churches at Harvard Divinity School shape harm reduction, music-driven therapy, and spiritual care

Psychedelics Today hosts Jeff Breau, a Harvard Divinity School researcher, to examine how psychedelic churches and psychedelic chaplaincy are emerging as new intersections of psychedelics and religion. Breau shares firsthand insights from researching modern psychedelic churches, emphasizing why harm reduction matters in these communities and how music can actively shape therapeutic and spiritual experiences. He also discusses the role of cross-field collaboration between science, religion, and mental health. The conversation covers practical and conceptual tensions, including critiques of popular measurement tools like the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), legal challenges facing psychedelic churches, and the potential of psychedelic chaplaincy for spiritual care. Topics also include novel rituals and spiritual practices, and how ketamine integration chaplaincy connects to this growing field.