Self-Entropic Broadening Theory: Toward a New Understanding of Self and Behavior Change Informed by Psychedelics and Psychosis
This review (2022) provides a theory of how changes due to (classical) psychedelics and psychosis have such different (positive vs negative) outcomes. This is done through the lens of self-entropic broadening theory (broader attentional scope, hyperassociative thinking), where psychedelics lead to low self-focus (awe, ego dissolution, mystical experiences), whilst psychosis leads to high self-focus (hyperreflexivity, self-referential processing).
Abstract
The extremes of human experiences, such as those occasioned by classic psychedelics and psychosis, provide a rich contrast for understanding how components of these experiences impact well-being. In recent years, research has suggested that classic psychedelics display the potential to promote positive enduring psychologic and behavioral changes in clinical and nonclinical populations. Paradoxically, classic psychedelics have been described as psychotomimetics. This review offers a putative solution to this paradox by providing a theory of how classic psychedelics often facilitate persistent increases in well-being, whereas psychosis leads down a “darker” path. This will be done by providing an overview of the overlap between the states (i.e., entropic processing) and their core differences (i.e., self-focus). In brief, entropic processing can be defined as an enhanced overall attentional scope and decreased predictability in processing stimuli facilitating a hyperassociative style of thinking. However, the outcomes of entropic states vary depending on level of self-focus, or the degree to which the associations and information being processed are evaluated in a self-referential manner. We also describe potential points of overlap with less extreme experiences, such as creative thinking and positive emotion-induction. Self-entropic broadening theory offers a heuristically valuable perspective on classic psychedelics and their lasting effects and relation to other states by creating a novel synthesis of contemporary theories in psychology.
Research Summary of 'Self-Entropic Broadening Theory: Toward a New Understanding of Self and Behavior Change Informed by Psychedelics and Psychosis'
Introduction
Classic psychedelic-assisted therapy has attracted growing attention because trials and population-level analyses suggest these substances can produce enduring psychological and behavioural benefits across diverse conditions, including substance use disorders, depression, end-of-life anxiety, and demoralisation. At a biological level, research indicates classic psychedelics promote neuroplasticity and have anti-inflammatory effects, offering plausible mechanisms for lasting change. Paradoxically, these same compounds have a long history of being described as psychotomimetic; early investigators proposed using psychedelics to model psychosis "from the inside," and subsequent empirical work has noted acute overlaps between psychedelic states and features of early psychosis. Dourron and colleagues set out to resolve this psychotomimetic–psychedelic paradox by proposing self-entropic broadening (SEB) theory. SEB synthesises existing frameworks—notably entropic brain theory (EBT), REBUS, and broaden-and-build theory—by arguing that both classic psychedelics and early psychosis instantiate an entropic processing style (broadened attentional scope, decreased predictability and hyperassociative thinking), but diverge in the degree and direction of self-focus. The review aims to characterise shared cognitive and neural features, specify where and why trajectories differ, and suggest testable predictions and research priorities to explain when entropic states lead to flourishing versus languishing.
Expert Research Summaries
Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.
Study Details
- Study Typemeta
- Journal
- Topics
- Author
- APA Citation
Dourron, H. M., Strauss, C., & Hendricks, P. S. (2022). Self-Entropic Broadening Theory: Toward a New Understanding of Self and Behavior Change Informed by Psychedelics and Psychosis. Pharmacological Reviews, 74(4), 984-1029. https://doi.org/10.1124/pharmrev.121.000514
References (132)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
Agin-Liebes, G. I., Lancelotta, R., Uthaug, M. V. et al. · ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science (2021)
Anderson, B. T., Danforth, A. L., Daroff, R. et al. · EClinicalMedicine (2020)
Avram, M., Rogg, H., Korda, A. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)
Baggot, M. J. · Preprints (2015)
Balaet, M. · Frontiers in Neuroscience (2022)
Barrett, F. S., Bradstreet, M. P., Leoutsakos, J. M. S. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)
Barrett, F. S., Doss, M. K., Sepeda, N. D. et al. · Scientific Reports (2020)
Barrett, F. S., Griffiths, R. R. · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2017)
Barrett, F. S., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Barrett, F. S., Krimmel, S. R., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · NeuroImage (2020)
Show all 132 referencesShow fewer
Barsuglia, J. P., Davis, A. K., Palmer, R. et al. · Frontiers in Psychology (2018)
Belser, A. B., Agin-Liebes, G. I., Swift, T. C. et al. · Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2017)
Bienemann, B., Ruschel, N. S., Campos, M. L. et al. · PLOS ONE (2020)
Bogenschutz, M. P., Forcehimes, A. A., Pommy, J. A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Bogenschutz, M. P., Johnson, M. W. · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (2016)
Breeksema, J. J., Niemeijer, A. R., Krediet, E. et al. · CNS Drugs (2020)
Brouwer, A., Carhart-Harris, R. L. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)
Cameron, L. P., Benson, C. J., Dunlap, L. E. · ACS Chemical Neuroscience (2018)
Carbonaro, T. M., Bradstreet, M. P., Barrett, F. S. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Roseman, L., Bolstridge, M. et al. · Scientific Reports (2017)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Giribaldi, B., Watts, R. et al. · New England Journal of Medicine (2021)
Carhart-Harris, R. L. · Neuropharmacology (2018)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Bolstridge, &. M., Day, C. M. J. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2017)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Haijen, E. C. H. M. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2017)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Williams, T. et al. · PNAS (2012)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Friston, K. J. · Pharmacological Reviews (2019)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Friston, K. J. · Brain (2010)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Leech, R., Erritzoe, D. et al. · Schizophrenia Bulletin (2012)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Leech, R., Shanahan, M. et al. · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2014)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Muthukumaraswamy, S., Roseman, L. et al. · PNAS (2016)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Nutt, D. J. · Journal of Substance Use (2010)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Roseman, L., Haijen, E. C. H. M. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2018)
Carter, O. L., Hasler, F. ;., Pettigrew, J. D. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2007)
Davis, A. K., Streeter Barrett, F., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)
Davis, A. K., So, S., Lancelotta, R. et al. · The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse (2019)
De La, M., Revenga, F., Zhu, B. et al. · Cell Reports (2021)
Diez-Alarcia, R., Muguruza, C., Rivero, G. et al. · Translational Psychiatry (2021)
Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y., Müller, F. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2016)
Dos Santos, R. G., Hallak, J. E., Bouso, J. C. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2017)
Doss, M. K., May, D. G., Johnson, M. W. et al. · Scientific Reports (2020)
Dyck, E. · Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (2005)
Ermakova, A. O., Dunbar, F., Rucker, J. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)
Erritzoe, D., Smith, J. M., Fisher, P. M. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2019)
Flanagan, T. W., Nichols, C. D. · International Review of Psychiatry (2018)
Forstmann, M., Sagioglou, C. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)
Forstmann, M., Yudkin, D. A., Prosser, A. M. B. et al. · PNAS (2020)
Frecska, E., Móré, C. E., Vargha, A. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2012)
Gandy, S., Bonnelle, V., Jacobs, E. et al. · Drug Science Policy and Law (2022)
Garcia-Romeu, A., Davis, A. K., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2020)
Garcia-Romeu, A., Davis, A. K., Fire Erowid et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2019)
Gashi, L., Sandberg, S., Pedersen, W. · International Journal of Drug Policy (2021)
Kirchner, K. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)
Geyer, M. A., Vollenweider, F. X. · Trends in Pharmacological Sciences (2008)
Girn, M., Mills, C., Roseman, L. et al. · NeuroImage (2020)
Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)
Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)
Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2011)
Griffiths, R. R., Richards, W. A., Mccann, U. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2006)
Hartogsohn, I. · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2018)
Hendricks, P. S. · International Review of Psychiatry (2018)
Hendricks, P. S., Crawford, M. S., Cropsey, K. L. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)
Hendricks, P. S., Thorne, C. B., Clark, B. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Höflich, A., Hahn, A., Küblböck, M. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2015)
Inserra, A., De Gregorio, D., Gobbi, G. · Pharmacological Reviews (2021)
Johansen, P. Ø., Krebs, T. S. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M. P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)
Johnson, M. W., Hendricks, P. S., Barrett, F. S. et al. · Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2019)
Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)
Kettner, H., Rosas, F. E., Timmermann, C. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021)
Kočárová, C., Horacek, J., Carhart-Harris, R. L. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)
Kometer, M., Pokorny, T., Seifritz, E. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2015)
Sumiyoshi, T., Kraehenmann, R., Pokorny, D. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2017)
Krebs, T. S., Johansen, P. ˚. Ø. · PLOS ONE (2013)
Kuypers, K. P. C. · Medical Hypotheses (2018)
Kuypers, K. P. C., Riba, &. J., De La Fuente Revenga, &. M. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2016)
Leary, T., Litwin, G. H., Metzner, R. · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (1977)
Lebedev, A. V., Kaelen, M., L€ Ovd En, M. et al. · Human Brain Mapping (2016)
Lewis, C. R., Preller, K. H., Kraehenmann, R. et al. · NeuroImage (2017)
Leptourgos, P., Fortier-Davy, M., Carhart-Harris, R. L. et al. · Schizophrenia Bulletin (2020)
Liechti, M. E., Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y. · Psychopharmacology (2016)
López-Giménez, J. F., González-Maeso, J. · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2017)
Ly, C., Greb, A. C., Cameron, L. P. et al. · Cell Reports (2018)
Maclean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2011)
Madsen, M. K., Fisher, P. M., Stenbæk, D. S. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)
Madsen, M. K., Fisher, P. M., Burmester, D. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2019)
Mans, K., Kettner, H., Erritzoe, D. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)
Maqueda, A. E., Valle, M., Addy, P. H. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2015)
Mason, N. L., Kuypers, K. P. C., Reckweg, J. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)
Mason, N. L., Kuypers, K. P. C., Reckweg, J. T. et al. · Translational Psychiatry (2021)
McCulloch, D. E-W., Knudsen, G. M., Barrett, F. S. et al. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2022)
Milliere, R., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Roseman, L. et al. · Frontiers in Psychology (2018)
Felix, M., Stefan, B. · Swiss Medical Weekly (2019)
Müller, F., Dolder, P. C., Schmidt, A. et al. · NeuroImage (2018)
Holze, F., Dolder, P. C., Ley, L. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)
Lenz, C., Dolder, P. C., Lang, U. E. et al. · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (2017)
Murphy-Beiner, A., Soar, K. · Psychopharmacology (2020)
Noorani, T., Garcia-Romeu, A., Swift, T. C. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2018)
Nour, M. R., Evans, J., Nutt, D. J. et al. · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2016)
Osmond, H. · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (2010)
Pisano, V. D., Putnam, N. P., Kramer, H. M. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)
Pokorny, T., Preller, K. H., Kraehenmann, R. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2016)
Polito, V., Stevenson, R. J. · PLOS ONE (2019)
Preller, K. H., Burt, J. B., Adkinson, B. et al. · eLife (2018)
Preller, K. H., Herdener, M., Pokorny, T. et al. · Current Biology (2017)
Quednow, B. B., Kometer, M., Geyer, M. A. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2011)
Roseman, L., Nutt, D. J., Carhart-Harris, R. L. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)
Ross, S., Bossis, A. P., Guss, J. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)
Sampedro, F., de la Fuente Revenga, M., Valle, M. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2017)
Sanz, C., Pallavicini, C., Carrillo, F. et al. · Consciousness and Cognition (2021)
Schmid, Y., Enzler, F., Gasser, P. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2015)
Sessa, B. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)
Simonsson, O., Sexton, J. D., Hendricks, P. S. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)
Soler, J., Elices, M., Franquesa, A. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2015)
Steeds, H., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Stone, J. M. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2014)
Stenbæk, D. S., Madsen, M. K., Ozenne, B. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)
Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Vollenweider, F. X. · PLOS ONE (2010)
Sweat, N. W., Bates, L. W., Hendricks, P. S. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2016)
Swift, T. C., Belser, A. B., Agin-Liebes, G. et al. · Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2017)
Tagliazucchi, E., Roseman, L., Kaelen, M. et al. · Current Biology (2016)
Nutt, D. J., Carhart-Harris, R. L. · Current Drug Abuse Reviews (2015)
Uthaug, M. V., Lancelotta, R., van Oorsouw, K. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2019)
Uthaug, M. V., Van Oorsouw, &. K., Kuypers, &. K. P. C. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2018)
Viol, A., Palhano-Fontes, F., Onias, H. et al. · Scientific Reports (2017)
Vollenweider, F. X., Leenders, K. L., Maguire, P. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (1997)
Vollenweider, F. X., Smallridge, J. W. · Pharmacopsychiatry (2022)
Vollenweider, F. X., Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen, M. F. I., Bäbler, A. et al. · NeuroReport (1998)
Walsh, Z., Hendricks, P. S., Smith, S. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)
Watts, R., Day, C. M., Krzanowski, J. et al. · Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2017)
Wießner, I., Falchi, M., Maia, L. O. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022)
Wießner, I., Falchi, M., Palhano-Fontes, F. et al. · Psychological Medicine (2021)
Winter, J. C. · Psychopharmacology (2008)
Zamani, A., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Christoff, K. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2021)
Cited By (5)
Papers in Blossom that reference this study
Dourron, H. M., Bradley, M. K., Copes, H. et al. · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (2026)
Mathai, D. S., Roberts, D. E., Nayak, S. M. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Drugs (2025)
Agin-Liebes, G. I., Nielson, E. M., Zingman, M. et al. · Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (2024)
Dourron, H. M., Nichols, C. D., Simonsson, O. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2023)
Turkia, M. · Psyarxiv (2023)
Your Personal Research Library
Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.