Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance

Summary & key facts

Researchers gave a high dose of psilocybin (the active chemical in “magic” mushrooms) to about 36 adults who had never used hallucinogens before but took part in religious or spiritual activities. The sessions were long, supportive, and done so that volunteers and monitors usually did not know which drug was given. Psilocybin caused strong short-term changes in perception and mood, and it often produced experiences that matched descriptions of “mystical” or deeply spiritual events. Two months later many volunteers said the experience had lasting personal meaning and led to positive changes in attitudes and behavior, and people who knew the volunteers reported similar changes. The study also noted some short-term anxiety and other unstable moods during the sessions, and the findings are limited by the small, spiritual-minded volunteer group and the specific, carefully controlled setting.

Key facts:

• About 36 adults who had never used hallucinogens but who practiced religion or spirituality took part in the study.
• Each person had long, one-on-one sessions under supportive conditions and received either a high dose of psilocybin or a stimulant comparison drug so researchers could judge effects.
• During the psilocybin sessions people reported many acute changes in perception, strong subjective experiences, and sometimes anxiety or unstable moods.
• Psilocybin raised scores on measures of “mystical” experience, meaning people described feelings like unity, sacredness, and deeply felt insight.
• Two months after the sessions, many volunteers rated the psilocybin experience as having substantial personal meaning and lasting spiritual significance.
• Independent observers in the volunteers’ communities also reported positive changes in the volunteers’ attitudes and behavior that matched the volunteers’ reports.
• The study was controlled so neither volunteers nor monitors usually knew which drug was given, but some people did get an unblinded psilocybin session; this and the small, spiritually inclined sample limit how far the results can be generalized.

Topics

Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Anxiety Clinical psychology Hallucinogen Neuroscience Perception Psilocybin Psychiatry Psychology

Substances

Psilocybin

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety