In the context of psychedelic therapy, music is not just an accompaniment; it is a central pillar of the healing experience. At Inwardbound, we know from years of experience that music for psychedelic therapy plays a crucial role in guiding the journey, unlocking emotional release, and helping people access both mystical and deeply human dimensions of their psyche. Whether it’s shamanic drumming, indigenous chants, or modern ambient compositions, music becomes a bridge between body and spirit, the conscious and the unconscious, the personal and the archetypal.
The Role of Music in Psychedelic Therapy and healing
From the very first note, music sets the tone for a psychedelic journey. It can stir the depths of emotion, bring forth long-forgotten memories, and open gateways to transpersonal realms. Music for emotions is particularly potent under the influence of psychedelics, as it seems to bypass the logical mind and speak directly to the soul. Participants often report that a single piece of music can evoke tears, laughter, a sense of unity, or even profound spiritual revelation.
Research from clinical trials, such as those conducted at Johns Hopkins (1) and Imperial College London, shows that music can help structure the psychedelic journey. Much like a ceremony, a therapeutic session has a beginning, a peak, and an integration phase. Carefully selected music supports this flow (2), helping participants surrender to the experience, navigate challenging moments, and find meaning in what arises.
Psychedelic Music in Shamanic and Indigenous Roots
Long before modern science rediscovered psychedelics, indigenous cultures across the globe used plant medicines in ritual settings guided by music. In Amazonian traditions, icaros, sacred healing songs are sung by shamans to call in protective spirits, purge illness, and guide visions(3). These songs are often learned through deep relationships with the plants themselves and are considered medicines in their own right.
Similarly, in other indigenous traditions, drumming, chanting, and call-and-response singing are used to induce trance states, maintain rhythm, and carry individuals through transformational experiences. This shamanic music is not ornamental; it is a functional tool for healing. At Inwardbound, we honour these lineages and often draw inspiration from these approaches while blending them respectfully into a modern therapeutic framework.
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Modern Psychedelic Music and Clinical Playlists
In the contemporary psychedelic therapy space, the creation of specific playlists has become an art and a science. These playlists are curated to match the emotional and energetic arc of a journey. Many are rooted in clinical trial protocols that have been shown to support profound therapeutic outcomes, including relief from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and existential distress.
At Inwardbound, we use a set of carefully curated music selections informed by these clinical trials, enhanced with our own touches. For example, we often integrate Irish and Celtic music into our playlists. These sounds, be it the uilleann pipes, harp, or sean-nós singing, have a unique ability to stir ancestral memory, connect us to the land, and evoke deep emotional and spiritual responses. Time and again, participants report that these pieces give them a sense of homecoming or spiritual awakening.
Music as a Tool for Emotional Release and Healing
Psychedelics often allow people to access buried emotions, and music acts as the key that unlocks the door. A swelling string arrangement, the haunting call of a flute, or a slow and spacious piano melody can help tears flow where they had been stuck for years. Music for emotions has the power to validate feelings, to hold them gently, and to invite catharsis.
At our retreats, we have witnessed countless moments where the right song at the right moment led to a deep release, grief from a lost parent, anger long buried in the body, or even joy that had been forgotten. It is this ability to unlock and move emotion that makes music for psychedelic therapy such an essential ally.
Mystical States and Memory Recall
Beyond emotional release, music can facilitate mystical experiences. Under the influence of psychedelics, the mind becomes more open, less bound by ego structures. In this state, music can become a direct line to the divine. Chanting, overtone singing, and ambient textures can dissolve the boundaries between self and other, inducing feelings of oneness, awe, and cosmic unity.
Music also has the ability to bring forward memories, sometimes from decades past. A song might trigger a childhood moment, a family dynamic, or an unresolved experience that can now be revisited and healed. This makes music a tool not just for vision, but for integration, bringing the past into the present in order to let it go. Listen to our Mystical playlist here
Live Music as an Immersive Experience
While playlists are powerful, live music offers something even more dynamic. At Inwardbound, we incorporate live singing and instruments into our ceremonies and integration circles. Live music brings in an element of responsiveness and presence that a recording cannot. Whether it’s a softly sung lullaby, a drone from a shruti box, or the beating of a ceremonial drum, live sound adds warmth and connection to the space.
These immersive musical experiences are designed to meet the energy of the group in real time, allowing facilitators to shape the sonic environment to what is needed in the moment, be it soothing calm, emotional intensity, or uplifting celebration.
A Universal Language for the Psyche
Music is a universal language that transcends words. In a psychedelic state, where verbal communication often falls short, music becomes the primary means of guidance and connection. It speaks to the heart, to the body, and to the unconscious. It can ground us when we’re lost, uplift us when we’re heavy, and carry us into realms we didn’t know existed.
In the container of a well-held psychedelic retreat, music becomes the invisible hand that gently shapes the arc of the experience. It is the breath of the journey, the pulse of transformation, and the soul of the medicine.
At Inwardbound, we believe music is medicine. Our work with psychedelic therapy integrates the wisdom of ancient traditions, modern science, and lived experience. Through shamanic music, indigenous songs, clinical playlists, and live performance, we aim to create journeys that are not only safe and therapeutic but also profoundly beautiful.
Music for psychedelic therapy is more than sound. It is a companion, a healer, and a teacher. Whether it’s helping you cry for the first time in years, guiding you to meet your inner child, or opening a door to the divine, music has the power to transform the deepest layers of the psyche.
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- Barrett, F. S., Robbins, H., Smooke, D., Brown, J. L., & Griffiths, R. R. (2017). Qualitative and quantitative features of music reported to support peak mystical experiences during psychedelic therapy sessions. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1238.
- Kaelen, M., et al. (2015). LSD enhances the emotional response to music. Psychopharmacology, 232(19), 3607–3614.
- Fotiou, E. (2010). From Medicine Men to Day Trippers: Shamanic Tourism in Iquitos, Peru. PhD Dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.