Alternative beliefs in psychedelic drug users
Acar, K., Cabrera, A. E., Horntvedt, O., Ingvar, M., Lebedev, A. V., Osika, W., Petrovic, P., Simonsson, O.
This cross-sectional study (n=392) examined the relationship between psychedelic use and beliefs in alternative facts in a sample that included 233 individuals with a history of psychedelic use. The study found a moderate positive association between psychedelic use and beliefs in alternative facts, particularly the belief that facts are politically influenced. However, there were no significant associations between psychedelic use and favoring intuition over evidence when confirming facts. Additionally, alcohol was negatively associated with beliefs in alternative facts. Overall, the study suggests that psychedelic use is linked to non-conformist thinking styles, possibly due to the psychological effects of the drugs or shared traits related to unconventional beliefs and substance use.
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that classical psychedelics can foster significant and enduring changes in personality traits and subjective wellbeing. Despite the lack of evidence for adverse effects on mental health stemming from psychedelic use, concerns persist regarding the capacity of these substances to modulate information processing and attitudes towards factual data. The aim of the present study was to investigate the propensity for accepting alternative facts and the general treatment of knowledge within a sample of 392 participants, 233 of whom reported at least a single incidence of psychedelic use in their lifetime. To do this, we leveraged step-wise methods of linear modelling investigating effects of demographics, psychiatric conditions and concomitant drug use. Our findings revealed a moderate positive association between psychedelic use and beliefs in alternative facts, as well as the specific belief that facts are politically influenced. However, no links were found for favouring intuition over evidence when confirming facts. Among other investigated drugs, only alcohol was negatively associated with beliefs in alternative facts. Taken together, our results support the link between psychedelic use and non-conformist thinking styles, which can be attributed to the psychological effects of the drugs themselves, but may also mirror a common trait related to unconventional beliefs and illicit substance use.