PRoMiSS: Psilocybin and the Role of Music in Set and Setting

Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin reliably alter consciousness, producing changes in perception, emotion, and meaning-making. Music has long been recognized as an important component of psychedelic therapy, serving to guide the experience and shape its trajectory. However, little is known about how different types of music influence outcomes, particularly music that is personally meaningful to participants. This study will investigate the effects of autobiographically salient (AS) music compared to standardized playlists during high-dose psilocybin sessions. The goal is to understand how personally relevant music modulates acute subjective experiences, emotional responses, and longer-term psychological outcomes. In addition, the study will examine brain and body responses to music under psilocybin, including how these responses differ when music is autobiographically salient. The central questions are whether AS music enhances emotional depth, psychological insight, and well-being more than non-autobiographical playlists, and whether the timing of AS music during the session influences these effects. Participants will be followed up after the psilocybin session to assess both short-term and longer-term outcomes, including well-being, mood, and meaning-making. This trial represents one of the first controlled investigations into how personalized music contributes to the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Findings may help optimize music-based interventions in psychedelic therapy and improve understanding of the role of music in shaping altered states of consciousness.