An Encounter with the Other: A Thematic Analysis of Accounts of DMT Experiences from a Naturalistic Field Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Michael ◽  
David Luke ◽  
Oliver Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Conscious Experience ◽  
The Other ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Death Experience ◽  
Extraordinary Experiences ◽  
Alien Abduction ◽  
Increasing Trends

Introduction: N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an endogenous serotonergic psychedelic capable of producing radical shifts in conscious experience. Increasing trends in its use, as well as new trials administering DMT to patients, indicate the growing importance of a thorough elucidation of the phenomenology the drug may occasion. This is particularly in light of the hyper-real, otherworldly, and often ontologically challenging yet potentially transformative, nature of the experience, not least encounters with apparently non-self social agents. Laboratory studies have been limited by clinical setting and lacking qualitative analyses, while online surveys’ limitations lie in retrospective design, recreational use, and both of which not guaranteeing ‘breakthrough’ experiences. Methods: We report on the first naturalistic field study of DMT use including its qualitative analysis. Screened, healthy, anonymised and experienced DMT users (40-75mg inhaled) were observed during their non-clinical use of the drug at home. Semi-structured interviews using the micro-phenomenological technique were employed immediately after their experience. This paper reports on the thematic analysis of one major domain of the breakthrough experiences elicited; the ‘other’. Thirty-six post-DMT experience interviews with mostly Caucasian (83%) males (8 female) of average 37 years were predominantly inductively coded. Results: Invariably, profound and highly intense experiences occurred. The main overarching category comprised the encounter with other ‘beings’ (94% of reports), with further subordinate themes including the entities’ role, appearance, demeanour, communication and interaction; while the other over-arching category comprised experiences of emerging into other ‘worlds’ (100% of reports), in turn consisting of the scene, the content and quality of the immersive spaces. Discussion: The present study provides a systematic and in-depth analysis of the features of the otherworldly encounter within the breakthrough DMT experience, as well as elaborating on the resonances with both previous DMT studies and other types of extraordinary experiences which also entail entity encounters. These include the alien abduction, folkloric, shamanic and near-death experience. Putative neural mechanisms of these features of the DMT experience and its promise as a psychotherapeutic agent are discussed in light of such findings.

scholarly journals An Encounter With the Other: A Thematic and Content Analysis of DMT Experiences From a Naturalistic Field Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Michael ◽  
David Luke ◽  
Oliver Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Conscious Experience ◽  
The Other ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Psychoactive Effects ◽  
Death Experience ◽  
Extraordinary Experiences ◽  
Alien Abduction ◽  
The Rich

Introduction:N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an endogenous serotonergic psychedelic capable of producing radical shifts in conscious experience. Increasing trends in its use, as well as new trials administering DMT to patients, indicate the growing importance of a thorough elucidation of the qualitative content, over and above structure, which the drug occasions. This is particularly in light of the hyper-real, otherworldly, and often ontologically challenging yet potentially transformative, nature of the experience, not least encounters with apparently non-self social agents. Laboratory studies have been limited by clinical setting and lacking qualitative analyses of experiential content, while online surveys’ limitations lie in retrospective design, uncontrolled use, and both of which not guaranteeing ‘breakthrough’ experiences, i.e., producing very strong psychoactive effects.Methods: We report on the first naturalistic field study of DMT use including its qualitative analysis. Screened, healthy, anonymised and experienced DMT users were observed during their non-clinical use of the drug at home (40–75 mg inhaled). In-depth semi-structured interviews (inspired by the micro-phenomenological technique) were employed immediately after their experience. This paper reports on the thematic analysis of one major domain of the breakthrough experiences elicited, the ‘other’. Thirty-six post-DMT experience interviews with mostly Caucasian (83%) males (eight female) of average 37 years were predominantly inductively coded.Results: Invariably, profound and highly intense experiences occurred. The first overarching category comprised the encounter with other ‘beings’ (94% of reports), encompassing super-ordinate themes including the entities’ role, appearance, demeanour, communication and interaction; while the second overarching category comprised experiences of emerging into other ‘worlds’ (100% of reports), encompassing super-ordinate themes of the scene, the contents and quality of the immersive spaces. Many further mid-level themes and subthemes also illuminate the rich content of the DMT experience.Discussion: The present study provides a systematic and in-depth analysis of the nuanced content of the otherworldly encounter within the breakthrough DMT experience, as well as elaborating on the resonances both with previous DMT studies focusing on entity encounters and other types of extraordinary experiences entailing such encounters. These include the alien abduction, folkloric, shamanic and near-death experience. Putative neural mechanisms of these features of the DMT experience and its promise as a psychotherapeutic agent are discussed in light of such findings.

‘Are we on the same wavelength?’ International nurses and the process of confronting and adjusting to clinical communication in Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonia Crawford ◽  
Peter Roger ◽  
Sally Candlin
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
The Other ◽  
Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Central Theme ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Clinical Communication ◽  
Professional Experiences

Effective communication skills are important in the health care setting in order to develop rapport and trust with patients, provide reassurance, assess patients effectively and provide education in a way that patients easily understand (Candlin and Candlin, 2003). However with many nurses from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds being recruited to fill the workforce shortfall in Australia, communication across cultures with the potential for miscommunication and ensuing risks to patient safety has gained increasing focus in recent years (Shakya and Horsefall, 2000; Chiang and Crickmore, 2009). This paper reports on the first phase of a study that examines intercultural nurse patient communication from the perspective of four Registered Nurses from CALD backgrounds working in Australia. Five interrelating themes that were derived from thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews are discussed. The central theme of ‘adjustment’ was identified as fundamental to the experiences of the RNs and this theme interrelated with each of the other themes that emerged: professional experiences with communication, ways of showing respect, displaying empathy, and vulnerability.

scholarly journals El proceso vocacional del estudiantado universitario en condición de logro y rezago académico: Un análisis desde el enfoque evolutivo de Donald Super

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Raquel María Bulgarelli-Bolaños ◽  
José Antonio Rivera-Rodríguez ◽  
Manuel Arturo Fallas-Vargas
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
The Other ◽  
Vocational Development ◽  
Industrial Chemistry ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Academic Status ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Depth Interviews

This article is based on an investigation whose main purpose was to analyze students’ vocational development in statuses of achievement and academic lagging in Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, during 2014, by implementing Donald Super’s evolutionary approach. A naturalist paradigm, a design of collective case studies of four people (two students from each academic status), four data gathering tools (in-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews, in-depth discussion meetings, and observation), and the categorical thematic analysis method were applied. It was found that there are differences in the vocational process of the four cases studied when referring to one academic status or the other, where the category of achievement is more leaning trend to a better vocational performance, even though it is not a predictor of this; while the academic lagging presents more difficulties in its different vocational stages. Therefore, it is recommended not to neglect academic, vocational and personal-social support to any of both populations, considering their particularities related to the specific vocational processes and the evaluations they carry out during the career. 

Designing a simulation center: an experiential guide

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 487-504
Author(s):  
Carla Talal Dleikan ◽  
Zavi Lakissian ◽  
Selim Hani ◽  
Rana Sharara-Chami
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Simulation Center ◽  
And Training ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Health-care simulation has evolved rapidly in the past few decades; it has become an integral component of education and training to improve the efficacy of both individuals and teams. Designing an optimal simulation-based learning space is a multitiered and multidisciplinary process involving architects, engineers and simulation educators. The purpose of this paper is to present the experience of designing a simulation center for a tertiary academic hospital. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an in-depth analysis of the final structural blueprint of the center and qualitative thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with persons involved in the design process Findings Thematic analysis led to three thematic categories, namely, organization of space, equipment and administrative and staff requirements. Research limitations/implications The paper describes the experience of designing one center within an academic tertiary setting. This experience may lack external validity and generalizability. Moreover, the operationality and functionality of the center have not been studied yet. Finally, the interviewees were interviewed post-design, which may pose as recall bias. Practical implications For future simulationists or educators attempting to undertake a simulation center design, this paper will help guide them to anticipate the needed human and technical resources and potential challenges. Originality/value The study offers recommendations meant to guide others attempting to design a simulation center within an academic institution.

scholarly journals Knowing me, knowing you: a qualitative study of the effects on patients of doctors’ self-illness disclosures

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 327
Author(s):  
Laura Bolger ◽  
Katherine Helen Hall ◽  
Martyn Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Patient Relationship ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Emotional Dimensions

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONVery little is known how patients react to learning about their own doctors’ illnesses. Doctors can be uncertain if and when such disclosures can be helpful, and in what way, to patients. This paper attempts to bridge this gap by providing an in-depth analysis of one group of patients’ experiences with this type of disclosure. AIMTo understand from patients’ perspectives, the effects on them of doctors disclosing their own illnesses, to provide guidance concerning the uses of this disclosure for general practitioners. METHODSThis qualitative study was an exploration of 13 patients’ reactions to receiving such information, using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. RESULTSThe major themes were the emotional dimensions of illness and patienthood, the doctor–patient relationship and patients’ concerns about disclosures. Disclosures can have profound effects on patients with both negative and positive consequences. CONCLUSIONWe present suggestions about how to use such disclosures in primary care to minimise potential harms and emphasise potential benefits, based on these patients’ perspectives and the current literature.

The Other Entrepreneurs - Migrant Economies as Spaces for Social Innovation?

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-271
Author(s):  
Claudia Lintner
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
Close Relation ◽  
The Other ◽  
Structural Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Migrant Entrepreneurship ◽  
False Dichotomy ◽  
Migrant Entrepreneurs ◽  
The One

This article analyses the relationship between migrant entrepreneurship, marginalisation and social innovation. It does so, by looking how their ‘otherness’ is used on the one hand to reproduce their marginalised situation in society and on the other to develop new living and working arrangements promoting social innovation in society. The paper is based on a qualitative study, which was carried out from March 2014- 2016. In this period, twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with migrant entrepreneurs and experts. As the results show, migrant entrepreneurs are characterised by a false dichotomy of “native weakness” in economic self-organisation against the “classical strength” of majority entrepreneurs. It is shown that new possibilities of acting in the context of migrant entrepreneurship are mostly organised in close relation to the lifeworlds and specific needs deriving from this sphere. Social innovation processes initiated by migrant entrepreneurs through their economic activities thus develop on a micro level and are hence less apparent. Supportive networks are missing on a structural level, so it becomes difficult for single innovative initiatives to be long-lasting.

An Introduction to Roman Retailing

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. R. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Roman World ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Food And Drink ◽  
The One ◽  
Value Of It

This chapter introduces the topic of retailing in the Roman world and outlines some of the important developments in its study. It establishes why the focus of the book zooms in from retailing in general to the retailing of food and drink in particular; thus from shops to bars. Another aim is to demonstrate the scope of the study, which is an in-depth analysis of specific shops and bars at Pompeii on the one hand, and on the other a broader survey of the retail landscapes of cities throughout the Roman world. Essentially this chapter provides the theoretical and methodological framework for the book, while also arguing for the value of it in the first place.

Acceptance of the HPV Vaccine in a Multiethnic Sample of Latinx Mothers

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 472-483
Author(s):  
Ana Cristina Lindsay ◽  
Madelyne J. Valdez ◽  
Denisse Delgado ◽  
Emily Restrepo ◽  
Yessica M. Guzmán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Direct Benefits ◽  
Multiethnic Sample

This descriptive qualitative study explored Latinx mothers’ acceptance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for their adolescent children. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a hybrid method of thematic analysis that incorporated deductive and inductive approaches. Twenty-two ( n = 22), mostly foreign-born, Latinx mothers of male and female adolescents participated in the study. Three main themes and nine subthemes emerged from the analyses. Findings identified the need for increased efforts to raise awareness and knowledge among Latinx mothers of the direct benefits of the HPV vaccine for sons, including stressing prevention of HPV-associated cancers in males. Findings also underscore the need for improved health care providers’ communication and recommendation of the HPV vaccine for Latinx adolescent males. Future research should intervene upon the study’s findings to address barriers that remain and affect Latinx mothers’ acceptance and uptake of the HPV vaccine for their children, in particular their sons.

scholarly journals Staying Home, Staying Alive: Campus Food Pantry Student Clients’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442110356
Author(s):  
Elmira Jangjou
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Postsecondary Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Food Pantry ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Seeking Help

In response to students’ food insecurity, a number of colleges and universities have taken action and established campus food pantries as part of their intervention plans. However, many of these pantries ceased operation due to COVID-19 campus shutdowns. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on postsecondary students, who use a university-provided food pantry. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, the thematic analysis explored the initial coping strategies these students used to endure the pandemic. Findings revealed that many students experienced the immediate effects of the pandemic in the form of income loss, self-isolation, anxiety, and appetite change. Although the pandemic interrupted these students’ journeys to continue their studies and become independent in various ways, the affected students implemented various coping strategies, including seeking help from family or friends, using available resources, cooking at home, and even trying to save money. However, considering that the targeted population in this study was already at risk because of their basic needs insecurity, these postsecondary students require extra attention from their higher education institutions in the case of emergencies, such as a global pandemic. In addition to its timely and relevant findings, this study provides important avenues for future research and intervention efforts.

scholarly journals Experiences of New Zealand Haemodialysis Patients in Relation to Food and Nutrition Management: A Qualitative Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2299
Author(s):  
Rachael M. McLean ◽  
Zhengxiu Xie ◽  
Vicky Nelson ◽  
Vili Nosa ◽  
Hla Thein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Nutrition Management ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Major Disruption

People receiving haemodialysis have considerable and complex dietary and healthcare needs, including co-morbidities. A recent New Zealand study has shown that few patients on haemodialysis are able to meet nutritional requirements for haemodialysis. This study aims to describe the perspectives and experiences of dietary management among patients on haemodialysis in New Zealand. This exploratory qualitative study used in-depth semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from different ethnic groups. Forty interviews were conducted, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. An inductive approach was taken using thematic analysis. Forty participants were interviewed. Participants spoke of major disruption to their lives as a result of their chronic kidney disease and being on haemodialysis, including loss of employment, financial challenges, loss of independence, social isolation and increased reliance on extended family. Most had received adequate dietary information, although some felt that more culturally appropriate support would have enabled a healthier diet. These findings show that further support to make the recommended dietary changes while on haemodialysis should focus on socio-cultural factors, in addition to the information already provided.

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