Do entheogen-induced mystical experiences boost the immune system? Psychedelics, peak experiences, and wellness

Introduction

The paper outlines a theoretical link between entheogen-induced mystical experiences and immune function. Earlier work shows that emotionally positive daily events correlate with measures of immune activity (notably salivary immunoglobulin A, sIgA), that some spontaneous remissions of illness have been reported in clinical literature, and that mystical or peak experiences share a characteristic cluster of cognitions, emotions, perceptions and behaviours. Entheogens (psychedelic substances used in religious or sacral contexts) can produce such mystical experiences — described variously as unitive consciousness, peak experiences or intense religious encounters — and the author asks whether these drug‑induced states might similarly influence the immune system and thereby be associated with wellness outcomes. B. advances what the paper terms the "Emxis hypothesis": that mystical experiences occasioned by entheogens can boost immune function. The author highlights sIgA as a practical, non‑invasive proxy indicator of mucosal and, by extension, broader immune responsiveness, and suggests that the hypothesis centres on whether features of mystical experience (for example, intense positive affect, feelings of cosmic belonging and reduced stress) map onto improved sIgA and related immune markers. The introduction furthermore distinguishes contexts and dosing regimens — noting that low‑dose psychedelic adjuncts used to facilitate psychotherapy do not reliably produce mystical states and therefore fall outside the hypothesis, whereas single high‑dose psychedelic therapy sessions intended to produce a unitive or mystical state are the relevant intervention for testing the idea.