Integration is the deliberate process of making meaning from a psychedelic experience after it ends, working through what surfaced with the support of a therapist, facilitator, or trusted community, and translating insights into actual changes in perspective or behavior. The experience opens a window; integration is what determines whether anything lasting comes through it. The Palhano-Fontes 2019 ayahuasca RCT included integration support as a formal component of the protocol, reflecting the clinical view that the experience alone is insufficient. For both substances, the depth and durability of any benefit appears to be strongly tied to what happens in the weeks following the experience.
