Speaker Bio
Sidsel Høgsgaard Andersen is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Copenhagen’s department of Psychology and Neurobiology Research Unit (NRU), Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet. Since completing her Master of Science in Psychology in 2022, she has been affiliated with the NRU where she has been involved in projects at the intersection between psychology and neurobiology. She has worked as a research assistant at the Maternal Mental Health project, investigating preventive strategies in relation to women’s reproductive health. Alongside, she assisted the unit’s psychedelic research, involving project conceptualization and preparation for data collection, analysis, and psychological support during psychedelic sessions.
With her Ph.D. project Sidsel aims to contribute to our knowledge about set and setting in psychedelic research, specifically investigating the role of music in psilocybin assisted psychotherapy using both qualitative and quantitative methodology. Under the supervision of Associate Professor Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, she is facilitating psychological support with healthy volunteers as well as patients suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
Preparation for Psilocybin: A Thematic Analysis of a participant experiences with a Guided Music Visualization and Free Association Exercise
Background and Rationale: In psilocybin research, music is consistently used in dosing sessions to support participants during acute drug effects. However, it is not known whether music-based exercises designed to evoke experiential content and simulate the dosing setting can be beneficial to prepare participants for dosing sessions.
Research Questions: We developed a novel guided music visualization and free association exercise (GMVA) and tested it as part of preparation sessions in two open-label pilot studies. We addressed two main research questions: 1) How do participants experience the GMVA? 2) Is the GMVA helpful in preparing participants for their psilocybin intervention? – and if so, in which ways?
Methods and Analysis: Ten healthy volunteers and ten patients with Alcohol Use Disorder were interviewed 1) immediately after completing the preparatory GMVA and 2) the day after a high dose psilocybin session. Using the qualitative software Nvivo 14, we conducted Reflexive Thematic Analysis to identify salient themes in relation to our research questions.
Main Findings: Salient themes in relation to research question 1 were: a) Expressions of deeper immersion in the GMVA was related to greater felt significance of evoked experiences; b) The music during GMVA enhanced experiences of meaningfulness and emotions. Salient themes in relation to research question 2 were: a) The GMVA acted as a “psilocybin light” experience; and b) The GMVA enhanced trust with therapists during dosing session.
Conclusions: Preparing participants with a GMVA may enhance participants’ felt capacity to navigate a psilocybin experience and their trust with therapists during dosing sessions.