PhD opportunity: Challenging and adverse effects in meditation and psychedelics

Challenging and Adverse Effects of Meditation and Psychedelics: Phenomenology, Influencing Factors and Remedies Across Longitudinal Trajectories

Meditation and psychedelics have profound potential utility in helping people to address ill-health and promote wellbeing. They often also provide insights into perception of oneself, the world, and the role of self in the world. While both approaches have been touted as pathways to wellbeing, connection, and understanding the true nature of reality, anecdotes and increasing evidence suggest not everyone is helped and some people are harmed. We believe that the two disciplines may be able to inform one another. In a pair of sister studies, this project focuses on understanding challenges that occur in meditation practice and psychedelic use, whether specific approaches/contexts are more or less helpful/harmful, identifying predictors of resolving challenges, and generating advice for practitioners, clinicians, and researchers. The PhD candidate will focus on data from the meditation arm of the project while representing The University of Melbourne as part of the international consortium on this project. Additional cross-sectional and longitudinal data will be available to the candidate related to understanding pathways to help and harm with a primary focus on meditation and a secondary consideration of psychedelics.

The preferred candidate will have experience with quantitative methods in the social sciences (e.g., longitudinal data analysis, linear mixed effects modelling, structural equation modelling) and a Masters degree in a cognate discipline (e.g., psychology, neuroscience).

University of Melbourne PhD requirements must also be fulfilled. In order to be considered for entry to this program, applicants must, at a minimum, have completed:

• a four-year bachelor degree in a relevant discipline which includes a substantial research component equivalent to at least 25% of one year of full-time study and have achieved a minimum weighted average of 80% in the final year subjects or (University of Melbourne) equivalent; or
• a masters degree in a relevant discipline which includes a substantial research component equivalent to at least 25% of one year of full-time study and achieved a minimum weighted average of 80% or (University of Melbourne) equivalent; or a qualification and professional experience considered to be equivalent.
• a qualification and professional experience considered to be equivalent.

All costs of international or domestic relocation to Melbourne, including any required visas, must be covered by the successful applicant.

Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam (The University of Melbourne)

Co-supervisors: Associate Professor Julieta Galante (The University of Melbourne) & Dr Roman Palitsky (Emory University)

For any questions about this PhD opportunity or the application process, please contact: Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam at contemplate-csc@unimelb.edu.au.