Substance Use Disorders (SUD)LSDMDMADMTIbogaineKetamineMescalinePsilocybinSalvia Divinorum

Among psychedelic-experienced users, only past use of psilocybin reliably predicts nature relatedness

A combined reanalysis of five datasets (N = 3817) found that among psychedelic-experienced individuals only past use of psilocybin reliably predicts self-reported nature relatedness (with weaker, less reliable effects for DMT), and this pattern holds when psychedelic-naïve participants are included. Among participants exclusively experienced with psilocybin, greater use frequency was associated with higher nature relatedness, suggesting future work should investigate psilocybin-specific pharmacological or contextual factors.

Authors

  • Robin Carhart-Harris
  • Hannes Kettner
  • David Luke

Published

Journal of Psychopharmacology
individual Study

Abstract

Background

Past research reports a positive relationship between experience with classic serotonergic psychedelics and nature relatedness (NR). However, these studies typically do not distinguish between different psychedelic compounds, which have a unique psychopharmacology and may be used in specific contexts and with different intentions. Likewise, it is not clear whether these findings can be attributed to substance use per se or unrelated variables that differentiate psychedelic users from nonusers.

Aims

The present study was designed to determine the relative degree to which lifetime experience with different psychedelic substances is predictive of self-reported NR among psychedelic-experienced users.

Methods

We conducted a combined reanalysis of five independent datasets ( N = 3817). Using standard and regularized regression analyses, we tested the relationship between degree of experience with various psychedelic substances (binary and continuous) and NR, both within a subsample of psychedelic-experienced participants as well as the complete sample including psychedelic-naïve participants. Results/Outcomes: Among people experienced with psychedelics, only past use of psilocybin (versus LSD, mescaline, Salvia divinorum, ketamine, and ibogaine) was a reliable predictor of NR and its subdimensions. Weaker, less reliable results were obtained for the pharmacologically similar N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Results replicate when including psychedelic-naïve participants. In addition, among people exclusively experience with psilocybin, use frequency positively predicted NR. Conclusions/Interpretation: Results suggest that experience with psilocybin is the only reliable (and strongest) predictor of NR. Future research should focus on psilocybin when investigating effects of psychedelic on NR and determine whether pharmacological attributes or differences in user expectations/use settings are responsible for this observation.

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Research Summary of 'Among psychedelic-experienced users, only past use of psilocybin reliably predicts nature relatedness'

Introduction

Earlier research has reported a positive association between experience with classic serotonergic psychedelics and people’s sense of connectedness to the natural environment, commonly referred to as nature relatedness (NR). Such studies, however, often do not distinguish between different psychedelic compounds despite their distinct pharmacology and typical use contexts, and they are frequently unable to separate effects of substance use per se from confounding variables that differentiate users from nonusers (for example personality, values, or lifestyle). These limitations leave open whether reported links between psychedelics and NR reflect effects of particular substances, general characteristics of people who use psychedelics, or expectancy and setting influences. Forstmann and colleagues sought to address these gaps by reanalysing five independent datasets (combined N = 3817) to determine which specific psychedelic compounds, if any, reliably predict self-reported NR. The study focused primarily on participants who had used at least one psychedelic substance, allowing the investigators to control for many between-group differences that distinguish psychedelic users from nonusers, and tested both continuous and binary indicators of lifetime use for several substances (psilocybin, LSD, DMT/ayahuasca, mescaline, ibogaine, ketamine, and Salvia divinorum). The goal was to identify whether experience with particular compounds uniquely predicts overall NR and its subdimensions (NR-self, NR-experience, NR-perspective).

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Study Details

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