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THE FUTURES OF PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH + 331 For the investigator, helping that person have the best possible outcome isn't fully adequate, either. This sets up expectations, with the inevitable possibility of disappointment, resentment, and miscommunication. The interpersonal setting is fundamentally altered. There are several alternatives to this model, all of which are much more popular than the research one. However, popular doesn't necessar- ily mean "best." And the argument against the research model often is just that: there are better ways to experience these drugs. Indigenous cultures continue using psychedelic plants much as they have done for thousands of years. Members of African churches in Gabon take ibogaine to contact their ancestors; in Latin America, the DMT- containing brew ayahuasca provides the soul access to other worlds; and in North America, peyote opens spiritual realms for healing and guidance. Modern Western use of psychedelics in non-research settings contin- ues to grow. Many people take psychedelics, by themselves or in intimate group settings. In these cases of "popular" use, psychedelics might be used to gain different perspectives on the self, our relationships, or the natural world. Some use them at large communal gatherings, indoors or outdoors, with or without music and dazzling light shows. A small number of psychedelic therapists administer these drugs in individual or group therapy. Pockets of religious use also exist—for example, ayahuasca- using churches are spreading to North America and Europe. In all these cases, the illegality of psychedelics' use stunts open dialogue about their effects in these settings. There is nothing wrong with any of these models, but it's important not to confuse or interchange them with the research format. Research may one day lead to ways of using psychedelics that don't require obtain- ing data from participants and adhering to relatively rigid rules of interaction. In the same way, new medications and therapy techniques, if shown helpful in research, make their way into everyday professional and social interactions. Much of this conflict seems to come from muddled thinking regarding the underlying motives for using psychedelics. Thus, the answer to the question "What is the best way to take psychedelics?" is "It depends."