Media Portrayal Of Psychedelics Is Better But Still Needs Work
by MADELINE FERGUSON
WARNING: Spoiler for Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers ahead.
The idea for this article was born out of frustration as I watched the first few episodes of Hulu’s limited series Nine Perfect Strangers. I texted my editor, planning to write a piece on the problems the show presented using psychedelics.
But, I should know better than to judge something before I finish it. In this case, I judged Nine Perfect Strangers, a novel before it hit the small screen, way too quickly.
The show details the experiences of nine people who go to a retreat. They are all in search of some type of healing or change in their lives. The strangers all have their traumas, relationship issues, or addictions they hope to free themselves of. After a few episodes, viewers learn the treatment plan centers around microdosing (taking a small, nearly unnoticeable amount of a substance), psilocybin, and other substances in some cases. The retreat leader, a mysterious character with a traumatic past, believes in the treatment because it helped save her.
I will not let the show off without some criticism because some issues need to be addressed. The biggest issue, which popped up in the first few episodes, is the issue of consent. While the nine strangers consented to be at the retreat, none of them consented to be dosed. It was done in secret until one of the characters called it out, and the retreat leaders then admitted to giving the character psilocybin, LSD, or MDMA in some cases.
I get it; there needs to be a big reveal for the TV and entertainment side of the show. Still, as the world opens up to the amazing potential of psychedelic therapies, informed consent needs to be at the forefront, like it is in all medical treatments.
In the past, the psychedelic experience has been misrepresented or heavily dramatized in television and movies; for example, Fear And Loathing is one of the most famous movies about psychedelics, but it showcases an intense trip on a presumably large dose. Plenty of adult comedy shows have psychedelic episodes featuring crazy, unrealistic visions and experiences. Some of these misrepresentations make people fear psilocybin or LSD because they lack a comprehensive picture of the many ways to consume, most importantly microdosing.
That’s where I think Nine Perfect Strangers hit the nail on the head. The treatment experiences were tailored to everyone and began as barely noticeable microdoses. Of course, there was drama about the treatment protocol, but you can expect that from a TV show. In the end, it seemed every person involved received the treatment and dosage that was right for them. That’s one of the essential things about psychedelic therapies, right? There’s no one size fits all answer.
Three of the nine strangers were a family (mother, father, daughter) and had a much more intense experience than many others involved. Comparing traumas is not something I care to do, but for the sake of this, I will say the trauma they shared was more debilitating than most of the others, meaning their resolution seemed grander.
With a much larger dose, the show concludes with their family obtaining the healing they came for, but not without fear and apprehension. Here’s my second (and final) big issue with the show, the family had to be coerced into the final trip; while the final result was positive, coercion has no place in the future of psychedelic treatment.
The ending of the final episode is what changed my mind about the show. The end showed all nine of the strangers (although they were no longer strangers) living perfectly every day, happy lives, seemingly healed from the ailments they started with. The show brought to light the truly incredible thing about psychedelics, the lasting impact.
Positive impacts from psychedelics can last a lifetime, and that is truly magical.