Elevating the role of set and setting in shaping human experience across diverse contexts.
The Set & Setting Collaborative is a multidisciplinary initiative investigating the critical role of context – psychological, social, and environmental – in shaping transformative human experiences. While grounded in psychedelic research, our work extends across healthcare, education, and the arts, supporting evidence-based projects that advance scholarly inquiry, clinical innovation, and cultural understanding.
North Star: To better understand how set and setting enhances transformational experiences with the goal of amplifying human potential and well-being in a wide range of contexts.
The Set & Setting Collaborative brings together a vibrant community of researchers, clinicians, cultural leaders, artists, educators, and philanthropists—all committed to understanding how context and environment influence transformational human experiences. While the Collaborative has its roots in the psychedelic field, its broader mission is to apply these insights across healthcare, education, the arts, and overall well-being.
At the center of this work is the Kitchen Cabinet—a thoughtful and trusted leadership group that helps guide the Collaborative with clarity, care, and creative vision. Drawing from a wide range of lived experiences and professional expertise, the Kitchen Cabinet ensures the Collaborative stays grounded, inclusive, and forward-thinking.
Kitchen Cabinet
The Set & Setting Collaborative was launched in 2022 through the convergence of three pioneering university research projects, each focused on understanding the role of context in shaping therapeutic experiences:
- Johns Hopkins University: Investigating the impact and therapeutic potential of music within psychedelic-assisted treatments.
- McGill University: Studying the benefits of personalized music and mindfulness practices tailored to individual patient needs.
- University of California, San Francisco (UCSF): Conducting a comparator study to examine individual responses to psychedelics, with set and setting as a key controlled variable.
Together, these foundational studies reflect the Collaborative’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and evidence-based exploration of how environment, mindset, and context shape human experience.
In the summer of 2024, the Set & Setting Collaborative convened its inaugural face-to-face summit at the Usona Institute—bringing together researchers, clinicians, artists, and community leaders for a transformative exchange on how context shapes healing.
Usona June 2024
SetandSetting_USONASummary_7.15.pdf
1440 Event March 2025
