Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness
In a large-scale (N = 1,487) online study using structural equation modelling, lifetime experience with classic psychedelics uniquely predicted greater self-reported pro-environmental behaviour. This association was statistically mediated by increased nature relatedness and remained robust to controls for other drug use and personality traits, though the data are correlational.
Authors
- Matthias Forstmann
Published
Abstract
In a large-scale ( N = 1487) general population online study, we investigated the relationship between past experience with classic psychedelic substances (e.g. LSD, psilocybin, mescaline), nature relatedness, and ecological behavior (e.g. saving water, recycling). Using structural equation modeling we found that experience with classic psychedelics uniquely predicted self-reported engagement in pro-environmental behaviors, and that this relationship was statistically explained by people’s degree of self-identification with nature. Our model controlled for experiences with other classes of psychoactive substances (cannabis, dissociatives, empathogens, popular legal drugs) as well as common personality traits that usually predict drug consumption and/or nature relatedness (openness to experience, conscientiousness, conservatism). Although correlational in nature, results suggest that lifetime experience with psychedelics in particular may indeed contribute to people’s pro-environmental behavior by changing their self-construal in terms of an incorporation of the natural world, regardless of core personality traits or general propensity to consume mind-altering substances. Thereby, the present research adds to the contemporary literature on the beneficial effects of psychedelic substance use on mental wellbeing, hinting at a novel area for future research investigating their potentially positive effects on a societal level. Limitations of the present research and future directions are discussed.
Research Summary of 'Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness'
Introduction
Forstmann and colleagues situate the study within a renewed scientific interest in classic psychedelic substances (e.g. LSD, psilocybin, mescaline) after decades of regulatory constraints. Earlier clinical and survey research suggests that psychedelics can produce strong phenomenological effects—notably experiences of ego-dissolution, mystical or spiritually meaningful experiences, and lasting increases in traits such as openness—that have been linked to improvements in wellbeing and reductions in problematic behaviours. The authors note an additional recurrent theme in anecdotal and some experimental reports: many users describe heightened feelings of connectedness with nature during and after psychedelic experiences, and natural settings are commonly chosen for such experiences. Building on psychological theories that self–other overlap fosters empathy and that empathy can extend to non-human entities (thereby promoting pro-environmental behaviour), the study tests whether lifetime experience with classic psychedelics uniquely predicts nature relatedness and, through that, self-reported engagement in pro-environmental behaviours. The central hypothesis is that frequency of lifetime psychedelic use will be linearly related to nature relatedness—particularly an ‘‘NR-Self’’ dimension reflecting an internalised identification with nature—and that this in turn will mediate reported pro-environmental actions. The authors frame this question as societally relevant because increased nature relatedness is associated with individual wellbeing and with behaviours important for environmental conservation.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compounds
- Topics
- Author
- APA Citation
Forstmann, M., & Sagioglou, C. (2017). Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 31(8), 975-988. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881117714049
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