Speaker Bio
Pehr Granqvist, PhD, is Professor of Developmental Psychology at Stockholm University, Sweden. He has studied the attachment–religion connection since the mid-1990s, originally as part of his doctoral studies at Uppsala University, Sweden. His research in this area—as well as in the psychology of religion and the field of attachment more generally—is widely cited and recognized internationally. Dr. Granqvist is a recipient of the Margaret Gorman Early Career Award and the William James Award from Division 36 of the American Psychological Association as well as the Godin Prize from the International Association for the Psychology of Religion, In recent years, his and his research group's interests have turned firmly to psychedelic science. Dr. Granqvist and his co-workers have published a widely read agenda proposal for a psychedelic science based on attachment theory and the attachment-religion connection. They are now pursuing several empirical research projects in this area and have established a higher seminar series devoted to psychedelic science at Stockholm University.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
Exploring the Intersection of Psychedelics and Attachment Theory: Insights into Attachment Transformations Following Ayahuasca and Psilocybin Experiences
In this symposium, comprising a theoretical introduction and three empirical presentations, we delineate the heuristic potential of attachment theory for psychedelic science. Granqvist’s introduction discusses three specific proposals offered in a recent agenda proposal (Cherniak et al., 2023). First, attachment-related experiences and variations in attachment security are likely to predict psychedelic phenomenology and integration including adverse effects. Second, internal working models of attachment, underlying variations in attachment security, are a form of relational priors. If psychedelics serve to relax the grip of rigid priors, then increased attachment security is a viable outcome of psychedelic treatment. Third, attachment theory provides a broad framework that may aid in understanding key processes underlying the utility of psychedelic treatment. This includes a sense of connection, emotion regulation skills, and experiences of relational repair – with the therapist(s), the numinous, and others. These outcomes extend beyond symptom reduction in clinical samples to growth and flourishing also among the “healthy-minded”.
Research Question and Hypothesis
The three empirical presentations elaborate on each proposal, using data from non-clinical samples and contexts. First, Cassidy presents findings from participants in ayahuasca retreats indicating increased attachment security post-ayahuasca experiences involving encounters with Usually Invisible Beings. Second, Martling presents preliminary findings from a study of healthy volunteers undergoing a psilocybin retreat. Attachment security predicted the phenomenology of psychedelic experiences and changed favorably following the retreat. Finally, Cherniak presents findings from a survey study of naturalistic psychedelic experiences showing that perceived insecure attachment history with parents was linked to several facets of psychedelic phenomenology.