Meaning-Making

Human beings are meaning-makers. Meaning-making is how we make sense of our intrapersonal and interpersonal experience and our life.

Meaning-making is also inextricably tied to the development of the sense of self. It consists of:

  • Interpretations

  • Conclusions

  • Ideas

  • Narratives

  • Appraisals

  • Reappraisals of events

It can help change unhelpful views or shift beliefs, values, and goals. Meaning-making can also reinforce unhelpful views dependent upon the experiences and how these are interpreted.

Meaning-Making and Psychedelic Experiences

Psychedelic medicines can provide a view into reality as a construct. It would seem that, because psychedelic medicines are disruptive and result in a period of neuroplasticity, they can allow for significant shifts in one’s view of self and others, leading to enhanced psychological flexibility and healing.

Deriving meaning from the psychedelic experience becomes a significant part of what is to be learned from the integration process. Meaning-making assists in optimizing the utility of the experience and is related to the client’s intentions and future wellbeing.

Extracting Meaning from Medicine Sessions

From a psychological flexibility model and ACT perspective, it is helpful to assist clients specifically with crystallizing clarified values as they make meaning out of their experiences. There are many ways in which we can extract meaning from an experience.

Reflection

What are some approaches you could use in your practice to help clients extract meaning from medicine sessions? Consider how you would help guide the conversation when a client enters an Integration Session with uncertainty about where to begin making meaning of their experience.

Some examples may include:

  • Making associations with other relevant experiences

  • Interpretations elicited from the client related to their intentions

  • Unpacking psychedelic material as metaphors and exploring other possible interpretations

  • Bringing mindful awareness to body sensations, tracking changes, and allowing space for meaning to arise directly from present-moment, felt experience (this can be helpful when clients are confused or have conflicting mental interpretations, with the body centered as a source of direct authentic experience)

  • Eliciting the potential benefit of a difficult experience

  • Re-appraising, re-framing, identifying alternative, more helpful perspectives

  • Asking the client what the experience might mean about them or their situation

  • Asking what the utility of this experience might be to staying well or to the values in life they aspire to live by (which may the help with clarification of committed actions)

  • Exploring how the psychedelic experience and potential learning may be consistent with the client’s values