PSI's Process

Using a self-guided interview method, we conducted close to 100 structured interviews with diverse voices across the psychedelic ecosystem, from clinicians and researchers to harm reduction workers and policymakers. Participants were identified through an open nomination process and a publicly available list of contributions so far, with input from a wide range of community members. We're analyzing responses using both human review and AI-assisted analysis to identify patterns while maintaining participant confidentiality.

We have gathered and analyzed publicly available representative surveys and data sources, as well as epidemiological studies, using a combination of human and AI reviews to develop a picture of psychedelic use patterns, including on prevalence, usage trends, motivations, demographic and geographic patterns, safety concerns, risk factors, and adverse events.

We’ve gathered and analyzed publicly available forum data in order to identify patterns in adverse experiences, identify common risk factors, identify effective safety measures, and uncover real-world usage trends that may not appear in formal academic literature. While these data have limitations they provide valuable insights into public use, safety characteristics, and underground peer support approaches and interventions.

We've created a map of the psychedelic ecosystem and relevant adjacent sectors through collaborative input from organizations across the field. This living database with over 350 organizations tracks roles and regions, entity types, and populations served, helping identify opportunities for improved coordination and coverage. To ensure its accuracy and completeness, we are circulating the map within the psychedelic community to gather feedback, identify missing organizations, and refine positioning. For organizations that participated in interviews, we updated entries to reflect how they described themselves and their work. Wherever possible, we continue to invite listed organizations to review and provide input on their positioning and descriptions.

We have reviewed over 750 clinical and academic papers that contain information relevant to psychedelic safety, adverse events, and harm reduction approaches. We have synthesized findings from this review using both custom and off-the-shelf AI tools, as well as extensive human review to create a basis of evidence for a meaningful public health strategy.

We've partnered with the Global Psychedelic Society (GPS) and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) to conduct surveys of their communities. This collaboration helps us understand real-world usage patterns and safety issues within specific populations, such as college students, and across the psychedelic underground. We are analyzing responses using both human review and AI-assisted analysis to identify patterns while maintaining participant confidentiality.

We’ve assembled a case book to ground this work through collaboration with on-the-ground service providers, harm reduction organizations, and publicly available stories. Case studies provide a valuable lens for understanding how different institutions handle safety incidents and support people experiencing challenges.