The Role of Set & Setting in Business and in Psychedelic Journeys

What Set and Setting Mean

In psychedelic research, two factors are known to shape the outcome of a journey more than the substance itself. These are set, which is the mindset you bring, and setting, which is the environment around you. If you enter an experience with trust, preparation, and a safe context, the chances of positive impact increase dramatically.

When these elements are ignored, the same experience can turn overwhelming or even harmful. Researchers have shown again and again that set and setting are decisive for whether the outcome is healing or destabilizing.

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The Parallel in Business

Business works in much the same way. Leaders often focus on strategy or execution while overlooking the culture in which the work takes place. A brilliant plan will fail if the ground it grows in is hostile. But when the culture is open and the context supports risk-taking, even imperfect ideas can flourish.

I once worked with a marketing chief in a multinational corporation who embodied weirdness. He came to work in costumes, stole decorations from the cafeteria as a joke, gave colleagues funny nicknames, and even sang during meetings. It created a culture that celebrated playfulness and made space for truly creative ideas. When he left for parental leave and was replaced by a more traditional leader, the spark vanished. The environment shifted back to seriousness, and with it the joy and motivation of the team.

The Power of Environment

The setting does not only mean the culture, but also the physical environment where work takes place. In one of my own companies, we chose to hold our most important offsites and strategy sessions in unusual locations: the Sahara desert, a mountain path, a small island, a village, even a theme park. These extreme contexts shifted how people showed up. Conversations went deeper, ideas became bolder, and teams felt more alive.

It is similar to a plant. You cannot pull it to make it grow. You must adjust the conditions until it thrives and blooms on its own.

Closing Reflection

Set and setting remind us that outcomes are never determined by tools or strategies alone. They are shaped by who we are when we show up and by the environment we create for others.

For leaders and for anyone guiding transformation, the lesson is the same: growth happens when the conditions invite it.

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