Diaries from cannabis users: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Abstract

This article is based on research, which aimed to uncover the meanings behind the experience of cannabis use. Six participants were recruited and asked to keep a diary for 15 days. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four master themes emerged and were explored in detail. These were: `Withdrawing from everyday life', `Indulging in the here-and-now of the emotional body', `The containment of the sacred space' and `Living the addiction'. The author draws on the theoretical insights of Analytical Psychology in an attempt to capture and explain the dynamics emerging from participants' experiences. Throughout the narratives the use of cannabis, commonly regarded as a risky practice, appears to incarnate an attempt to reconnect with the here-and-now of the emotional body, as a way to escape from a convulsive consumeristic society. However, as the author argues, the lack of a conscious integration of the same convulsive consumeristic aspects within the psyche, leads participants into being `possessed' by these same forces, ultimately leading to a repetitive and compulsive addictive behaviour.