A Gratuitous Grace: The Influence of Religious Set and Intent on the Psychedelic Experience
This survey study (n=119) examined the relationship between psychedelic-induced mystical experiences and religious identity and found that being religious and taking psychedelic drugs with religious intent were significantly related to having stronger mystical experiences when using psychedelics.
Authors
- Neitzke-Spruill, L.
- Glasser, C.
Published
Abstract
Introduction
Psychedelic drugs, or entheogens, have been used for religious purposes among various cultures for thousands of years. Recently, these substances have caught the attention of Westerners for many reasons, including their propensity to induce mystical experiences. This study examined the relationship between religion and having mystical experiences.
Methods
A total of 119 participants were drawn from psychedelic-related websites and asked to complete an anonymous online questionnaire containing items regarding history of psychedelic use, set and setting for psychedelic use, and a measure for mystical experiences.Results/Discussion: A majority of respondents were White males who displayed at least some level of post-secondary education. The findings indicated that respondents who used psychedelics for specifically religious purposes, as well as those who identified with a religion, were more likely to score higher on the Mysticism Scale than those who did not.
Research Summary of 'A Gratuitous Grace: The Influence of Religious Set and Intent on the Psychedelic Experience'
Expert Research Summaries
Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.
Full Text PDF
Full Paper PDF
Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.
Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Topic
- APA Citation
Neitzke-Spruill, L., & Glasser, C. (2018). A Gratuitous Grace: The Influence of Religious Set and Intent on the Psychedelic Experience. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 50(4), 314-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2018.1494869
References (14)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
Alper, K. R., Lotsof, H. S., Kaplan, C. D. · Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2007)
Bogenschutz, M. P., Forcehimes, A. A., Pommy, J. A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Doblin, R. · Journal of Transpersonal Psychology (1991)
Kirchner, K. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)
Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)
Griffiths, R. R., Richards, W. A., Mccann, U. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2006)
Johansen, P. Ø., Krebs, T. S. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M. P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)
Krebs, T. S., Johansen, P. Ø. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2012)
Maclean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2011)
Show all 14 referencesShow fewer
Mithoefer, M. C., Wagner, M. T., Mithoefer, A. T. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2010)
Osório, F. L., Sanches, R. F., Macedo, L. et al. · brazilian Journal of Psychiatry (2015)
Smith, D. E., Raswyck, G. E., Dickerson Davidson, L. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2014)
Trichter, S., Klimo, J., Krippner, S. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2009)
Cited By (4)
Papers in Blossom that reference this study
Black, J. C., Monte, A. A., Dasgupta, N. et al. · Nature Mental Health (2024)
Brasher, T., Rosen, D., Spinella, M. · International Journal of Wellbeing (2023)
Gandy, S. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2022)
Arnaud, K. O. S. · Drugs Education Prevention and Policy (2021)
Your Personal Research Library
Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.