From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics Increase Nature Relatedness in a State-Mediated and Context-Dependent Manner

Summary & key facts

Researchers followed 654 people who planned to take a psychedelic. They gave surveys 1 week before, and 1 day, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 years after the psychedelic use. On average, people’s feeling of being connected to nature rose at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and still at 2 years after the experience. The size of that increase was linked to bigger gains in psychological well-being, and it depended on how much ego-dissolution people reported and how much the natural setting influenced the acute experience. The authors present these results as evidence that psychedelics can increase nature relatedness in a way that depends on the drug-state and the context.

Key facts:

• Baseline sample size was 654 people who planned a psychedelic experience and completed the first survey one week before use.
• Frequency of lifetime psychedelic use was positively correlated with nature relatedness at baseline (people who had used psychedelics more often tended to report higher nature relatedness before the study experience).
• Nature relatedness scores were significantly higher than baseline at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 years after the psychedelic experience.
• Increases in nature relatedness were positively correlated with increases in psychological well-being measured in the same participants.
• The magnitude of the increase in nature relatedness was associated with how much ego-dissolution people reported during the acute psychedelic state.
• The reported influence of natural surroundings during the acute psychedelic experience was linked to larger increases in nature relatedness, indicating a context-dependent effect.
• The authors describe the findings as evidence consistent with a context- and state-dependent causal effect of psychedelic use on nature relatedness, but the study is observationally focused on people already planning to use psychedelics and

Abstract

(1) Background: There appears to be a growing disconnection between humans and their natural environments which has been linked to poor mental health and ecological destruction. Previous research suggests that individual levels of nature relatedness can be increased through the use of classical psychedelic compounds, although a causal link between psychedelic use and nature relatedness has not yet been established. (2) Methods: Using correlations and generalized linear mixed regression modelling, we investigated the association between psychedelic use and nature relatedness in a prospective online study. Individuals planning to use a psychedelic received questionnaires 1 week before (N = 654), plus one day, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 years after a psychedelic experience. (3) Results: The frequency of lifetime psychedelic use was positively correlated with nature relatedness at baseline. Nature relatedness was significantly increased 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 2 years after the psychedelic experience. This increase was positively correlated with concomitant increases in psychological well-being and was dependent on the extent of ego-dissolution and the perceived influence of natural surroundings during the acute psychedelic state. (4) Conclusions: The here presented evidence for a context- and state-dependent causal effect of psychedelic use on nature relatedness bears relevance for psychedelic treatment models in mental health and, in the face of the current ecological crisis, planetary health.

Topics

Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies Psychedelics and Drug Studies Urban Green Space and Health

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Biology Clinical psychology Context (archaeology) Hallucinogen Law Mental health Paleontology Political science Psilocybin Psychiatry Psychology Relevance (law) Social psychology

Substances

Psilocybin