Why Music Matters on Psychedelic Journeys
From the steady beat of ancient drums echoing through shamanic ceremonies to the carefully curated playlists used in modern psychedelic therapy rooms, music and psychedelics have always travelled hand in hand.
Long before neuroscience had a name for it, humans intuitively understood that sound could guide consciousness. Rhythm, melody, and silence have been used across cultures to open inner worlds, soften the ego, and help travellers move safely between realities.
Psychedelics heighten perceptie, emotion, and meaning. Music, meanwhile, gives shape to those heightened states. Together, they form a kind of inner compass. Rather than being mere background noise, music becomes an active participant in the journey. A guide, a container, and sometimes even a teacher.
Modern science is now catching up with this ancient wisdom. Research into psychedelic-assisted therapy shows that music plays a crucial role in shaping outcomes, especially when it comes to mental health, emotional processing, and long-term change. So if you’re preparing a journey, it’s worth paying attention to what’s coming through your headphones — because not all “trippy music” is created equal.
Below, we explore five of the most influential and scientifically informed psychedelic therapy playlists and listening experiences, each designed with intention, structure, and deep respect for the journey itself.
The Science Behind Psychedelic Music
Recent studies have shown that psychedelic therapy can be remarkably effective for mood disorders and addiction. Controlled sessions using substances like psilocybin and MDMA have been associated with reduced depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and even profound shifts in how people relate to death, trauma, and meaning.
A landmark 2018 paper from the Beckley Foundation and Imperial College London highlighted just how essential music is in these therapeutic settings. Rather than simply enhancing the experience, music was found to actively shape emotional breakthroughs and long-term benefits.
As the study noted:
“Crucially, the nature of the music experience was significantly predictive of reductions in depression one week after psilocybin, whereas general drug intensity was not”.
In other words, hoe the music feels matters more than how strong the trip is.
Clinical playlists are carefully designed to mirror the natural phases of a psychedelic experience — pre-onset, ascent, peak, and descent (or re-entry). Each phase brings different psychological needs, and the music is chosen to support them. This idea isn’t new either.
Back in the early 1970s, researchers Helen Bonny and Walter Pahnke developed a structured framework for psychedelic music that continues to influence research and therapy today. Their work showed that intentional musical progression could help participants surrender, process, and return safely.
With that in mind, let’s dive into five of the most influential psychedelic listening experiences ever assembled.
Top 5 Psychedelic Therapy Playlists & Listening Experiences
1. Imperial College London’s Psilocybin for Depression Playlist
Created during Phase 1 clinical trials for psilocybin-assisted treatment of depression, this playlist is designed for a single medium-to-high dose (around 25mg). It’s immersive, emotional, and meticulously arranged.
The creators emphasised not just song choice, but hoe each piece flows into the next:
“Apart from the music selection and the structuring of this selection into a particular order, the mixing is an important aspect… The way the music breathes in and out of silence… is attuned to the experience”.
This playlist treats music like a living organism — expanding, contracting, and guiding the listener through deep inner landscapes.
2. Johns Hopkins’ Psilocybin Research Playlist
Developed by one of the world’s leading psychedelic research institutions, this playlist reflects decades of hands-on clinical experience.
Dr. William Richards explains his approach in Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences:
“I make the best musical choices I can, trying to separate the ‘very good’ and the ‘excellent’ on the basis of years of experience with many different people”.
With only six to seven hours of listening time, every track earns its place. The result is a surprisingly diverse mix (from The Beatles, to Enya, to Louis Armstrong) unified not by genre, but by emotional resonance.
3. MAPS Music for MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy
Founded in 1986, the Multidisciplinaire Vereniging voor Psychedelische Studies (MAPS) has been instrumental in bringing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy into mainstream research.
MAPS developed two dedicated music playlists specifically for MDMA sessions, where emotional safety, trust, and openness are key. These playlists are designed to support therapeutic dialogue while also allowing space for inward focus and emotional release.
They reflect MAPS’ broader mission: to create medical, legal, and cultural frameworks for the responsible use of psychedelics.
4. Chacruna Institute’s Psilocybin Playlist
Curated by researcher Kelan Thomas, this playlist closely follows the classic multiphase model pioneered in the 1970s — but with a more contemporary musical flavour.
Featuring artists like Sigur Rós en John Foxx of Ultravox, it leans into indie, post-rock, and atmospheric soundscapes. What makes it stand out is its intentional rhythm of intensity and rest.
As described:
“Kelan’s playlist peaks right on time but does not take the listener to an unwavering, hours-long plateau of intensity… periods of relief are built-in”.
This ebb-and-flow approach helps keep journeys manageable, grounded, and emotionally digestible.
5. De Psychedelische Ervaring Audiobook
Not a playlist, but an essential listening companion.
Originally developed in the early 1960s and published in 1964, De Psychedelische Ervaring was authored by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass). It serves as an instruction manual for navigating altered states, inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
Dedicated to Aldous Huxley, it even influenced pop culture — parts of the text were used by The Beatles in Tomorrow Never Knows.
For those drawn to spoken-word guidance rather than music, this remains one of the most historically significant and scientifically grounded audio companions available. Imagine its your psychedelic grandpas telling you a psychedelic bedtime story…
Conclusion: Sound as a Gateway Between Worlds
Both music and psychedelics act as portals. They loosen the boundaries of ordinary perception and invite us into deeper layers of experience — emotional, symbolic, and sometimes ineffable. When paired with care and intention, they amplify each other’s power.
Music gives structure to the ineffable. Psychedelics give depth to sound. Together, they help us remember that reality is far richer, stranger, and more interconnected than we’re often taught.
Whether you’re exploring for healing, curiosity, or spiritual insight, choosing the right music isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of the medicine.
