'Intergalactic' Resistance Studies Conference

Individual presentation

Underground psychedelic assisted therapy as constructive resistance

Majken Jul Sørensen
Østfold University College
Research on psychedelic-assisted therapy is booming in fields such as psychology and psychiatry, with clinical trials showing promising results for treating conditions like PTSD and depression. In some countries, legal access to treatment is now available, but in Denmark and Norway, the substances used in psychedelic-assisted therapy remain illegal. Despite this, some individuals are unwilling to wait for the therapy to be officially approved and seek assistance from underground therapists who offer psychedelic-assisted therapy using substances like psilocybin and MDMA. In this exploratory pilot study, I will interview 5-6 therapists from Denmark and Norway who have firsthand experience offering underground psychedelic-assisted therapy as a one-on-one treatment for mental health challenges outside of the official health care system. The study focuses on the social circumstances surrounding the therapists’ illegal work rather than the results of the therapy. For example, the interviews will explore the therapists’ motivations for engaging in this work, their reflections on the illegality and associated risks, as well as their hopes and expectations for the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Theoretically, the study draws on the concept of "constructive resistance," understood as "initiatives where people start to build elements of the society they desire independently of and in opposition to the dominant structures already in place" (Sørensen, Vinthagen & Johansen, 2023, p. 1). In this paper, the phenomenon of underground psychedelic-assisted therapy is interpreted as an attempt to begin developing an approach to health that can provide psychedelic-assisted therapy to everyone who is interested and can benefit from it. The study also aims to explore how emerging forms of collective resistance develop (Murru and Sørensen, 2025) by analyzing if and how the therapists perceive themselves as part of a nascent movement and view their illegal activities as a form of civil disobedience.
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