Preparations for rave music parties and consequences for attendees who consume psychedelic drugs

Introduction: A few studies have shown that rave music parties (RMP) enabled long-term positive transformative experiences. However, phenomenological inquiry on the subjective meaning of RMP attendees' experience before and after such parties is scant. The present study explored the preparations for participation in RMP and the parties' consequences for attendees who consume psychedelic drugs. Method: The study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to analyze transcriptions of semi-structured interviews with 27 Israeli rave party attendees. Results: The study found five themes regarding attendees' preparations for RMP: physical preparations; anticipation and body sensations; cognitive preparations; social preparations; and logistic preparations. Four themes relate to the attendees' experienced consequences after RMP: physical consequences; emotional consequences; cognitive effects; and positive social consequences. Conclusions: In light of liminality and rite of passage theories, the study highlights the importance of the pre-liminal rites of separation, including physical preparations, anticipation and body sensations, and cognitive, social and logistic preparations. The consequences after the party correspond to the post-liminal stage where the participants return to their normal life, yet with changes in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects. Israeli policymakers should consider adopting European drug-checking policy as a harm reduction measure to minimize negative consequences of drug use in the pre-liminal and post-liminal stages of RMP.