The ‘Direct Experience Fallacy’ in Psychedelics Research: Evaluating Ketamine and MDMA by Peter Barglow

Peter Barglow critiques what he calls the “direct experience fallacy” in psychedelic research, warning that personal experiences with ketamine and MDMA can bias scientific judgment and undermine research validity. While acknowledging promising findings, he emphasizes the need for rigorous methodology and caution in light of the significant psychological and physiological risks associated with these substances. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-direct-experience-fallacy-in-psychedelics-research-evaluating-ketamine-and-mdma/ About the Author: Peter Barglow, MD, has been a professor of psychiatry at Northwestern and UC Davis Medical Schools. At Davis, he was Chief of Addiction Medicine. He is the author of numerous scientific articles, two of which (2004 and 2018 in the American Journal on Addictions) dealt with opioid overdose deaths. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/ Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.