Psychedelic Dissociation and Trauma Recovery

A First-of-Its-Kind Study on Trauma and Altered States of Consciousness

A new Israeli study led by Guy Simon, a doctoral researcher in Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, in collaboration with the Safe Heart Association, has been published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. The research examines the lived experiences of survivors of the October 7th festival attacks who were under the influence of psychedelic substances during the massacre.

Through in-depth interviews conducted between November 2023 and January 2024, researchers captured raw, immediate testimonies of survivors, documenting how altered states of consciousness shaped both survival strategies and long-term recovery.

Survival in Real Time: Adaptive Psychedelic Dissociation

Survivors consistently described a paradoxical effect: while psychedelic substances altered their sense of reality, time, and emotional presence, they simultaneously enabled rapid responses, such as running, making decisions, and clinging to life.

Researchers identified a new phenomenon, termed adaptive psychedelic dissociation: a state of emotional detachment combined with preserved awareness and functionality. Survivors reported that this altered perception created a protective buffer during the chaos, allowing them to act under life-threatening circumstances.

Recovery and the Challenge of Integration

While this dissociation may have aided survival, it created immense challenges during recovery. Survivors reported difficulty reconciling their calm or detached inner states during the attack with the horrific reality unfolding around them. Many described heightened anxiety, confusion, or fear of delayed traumatic memories surfacing.

Yet, collective resilience emerged as a critical healing force. Survivors emphasized that peer support, community connection, and culturally resonant group rituals provided essential protection against isolation and stigma.

Healing Pathways: Individual and Collective

The study revealed two primary recovery pathways:

• Individual therapy—with an emphasis on psychedelic-informed approaches that acknowledge and validate survivors’ unique states of consciousness without judgment.
• Community-based healing—including therapeutic retreats, collective gatherings, and cultural practices rooted in the festival community itself.

Survivors also highlighted their struggle with “double stigma”—being both trauma victims and drug users, which delayed their willingness to seek professional help. Peer solidarity, particularly from others who “were there,” proved to be a decisive factor in recovery.

Trauma as a Collective Experience

This research underscores that collective trauma requires more than individual therapy. Survivors’ experiences highlight the urgent need for multi-layered, culturally sensitive responses: personal, interpersonal, and community-based.

Guy Simon explains:

“The Nova massacre created an unprecedented trauma context: mass victimization while under the influence of psychedelics. We found that altered states of consciousness can serve as a protective mechanism in extreme situations. Yet, what helps in the moment of survival becomes profoundly complex later in recovery. Survivors struggle to bridge the gap between their inner experience, sometimes even calm, and the horrors around them.

This insight compels us to rethink trauma therapy. Healing rooted in culture and community emerged as not just supportive, but essential.”

Partnering for Recovery: Safe Heart's Role

Adv. Efrat Aton, CEO of Safe Heart, adds: “Our organization was born as an emergency initiative on October 7th. Since then, we’ve been providing mental health support for thousands of survivors and their families. Alongside treatment, we are deeply engaged in learning and research, so that global understanding of trauma and healing can grow from this tragedy. Our work is expanding the world’s knowledge of psychedelic-informed trauma recovery.”

Safe Heart is Israel’s leading NGO providing therapeutic and community support for festival survivors. With hundreds of expert therapists treating more than 1,000 survivors, the organization also runs group and family healing programs. Its mission is to reduce the impact of PTSD, restore daily functioning, and guide survivors and families toward long-term recovery.