Psychedelics
The Importance of Humor in Psychedelic Communication
Humor, like psychedelics, can open people's minds.
Posted January 11, 2024 Reviewed by Ray Parker
Key points
- There is no subject, even one as interesting as psychedelic science, that cannot be made boring by experts.
- Experts use dull jargon because they want to be taken seriously.
- However, studies show humor increases a speaker's credibility, likability, energy, interest, and approval.
- The point of psychedelic therapy is joy, so communication surrounding it should not resist humor.
There are two types of tedious advocates for psychedelics: the sanctimonious spiritual type and the sanctimonious scientist type (who is defensive about being mistaken for being the spiritual type). They both have a flaw in common: humorlessness. They are sapped of the very joy that these treatments were designed to inspire.
In the psychedelic renaissance today, the discourse often wades through deep scientific jargon, complex therapy techniques, and intricate policy debates. So scientists, therapists, and advocates know that a dash of self-deprecation or a knowing joke about some absurdity aren't just delightful garnishes; they're a vital ingredient to powerful education. There are numerous reasons why humor can be the magic mushroom in the salad of psychedelic communication.
First, let's talk energy. Numerous studies show that humor increases energy, interest, and approval of a subject. Luckily, mind alteration is already inherently interesting in the public eye, giving the field of psychedelic science a leg up over, let's say, electrical engineering. But no subject is too fascinating for scientists and therapists to ruin with jargon and solemnity. Why talk about inebriation in such a sober tone? It's probably because of stigma. Scientists and therapists don't want to be mistaken for dumb junkies or biased evangelists. But trying to be taken seriously by being serious all the time is misguided.
In actuality, humor conveys authority, making audience members more inclined to like the speaker and still find them credible: You must know what you're talking about if you can joke about it. This is particularly true when one's audience shares your knowledge, AKA the "inside joke." So, for example, many scientists mock the need for placebo groups in psychedelic trials for reasons best expressed in the cartoon at left. Jokes like this demonstrate the absurd futility of keeping a placebo group ignorant of which group they're in when a subject can easily detect if they're rolling or not. But also, these jokes demonstrate the knowledge of the joke-teller. Humor's ability to convey authority can help persuade an unsure audience. Aristotle argued that there are three ways to make a persuasive argument: logos (logic), pathos (emotion), and ethos (expertise). Humor can help with all three, particularly the last two.
Humor helps audiences retain more information longer when they enjoy hearing it. Do you remember that time you laughed so hard you lost your breath? Of course; humor is memorable. It's sticky. If information about psychedelic science is the medicine, then humor is the LSD sugar cube to help the medicine go down smoothly.
But humor is more than a mnemonic device; it's a perception changer. Numerous studies show that humor makes a message more engaging, memorable, and persuasive. One study found that comedy made students more hopeful and proactive about climate change. Apply this to psychedelics and imagine humor being used to shift perceptions from fear and misunderstanding to curiosity and open-mindedness. Another study found that humor helps simplify the science around vaccination and combats misinformation. This is a golden ticket for debunking myths about psychedelics. Like psychedelics, humor can change minds.
In the realm of policy advocacy, humor can be a Trojan horse, sneaking in hard truths about outdated drug laws. It challenges stigma with satire. Sometimes abstinence-only groups make it easy to lampoon (see Pee Wee Herman telling you not to do crack). But humor can also be a bridge. It can turn a lecture into a conversation, indifference into curiosity, and ignorance into education.
For therapists, humor can be a bridge to connect with clients, making the therapeutic space less intimidating. What better way to demystify the process and build the "therapeutic alliance" than by laughing together? Psychedelic therapy abounds with hilarious contradictions. For example, they discover the lofty heights of Ayahuasca enlightenment by vomiting into a bucket in a jungle. Sometimes psychedelics bring us the sacred in the profane, and that's just plain funny.
Don't fight it. Frankly, psychedelic science can be hilarious. An actual study involved giving an octopus MDMA that ended with the octopus wrapping its tentacles around another octopus. Because, of course, it did; it was on MDMA. And, of course, this is hilarious. It's hilarious because it's relatable and true. Even a creature that evolved separately from us 750 million years ago is helpless, like us, to resist cuddling on MDMA.
Most importantly, let's not forget the very intention of psychedelic-assisted therapy: to allow patients relief from suffering and to experience joy. Lifelong psychedelic advocate and tireless drug war warrior Rick Doblin exemplifies the need for joy in communicating about psychedelics. At the end of his fact-rich, rollicking TED Talk about psychedelics, right when he has his audience at their most interested and eager, he concludes: "Now, if you'll check under your seats!" Spoiler: he did not distribute psychedelics—but what a memorable moment of levity to leave an audience with. Speaking without joy about psychedelic science is like folding laundry at a rave: You're missing the point of the experience. And for those psychedelic scientists and therapists who don't get this joke and have never been to a rave: Please, for the love of psychedelics, attend one.
