States and traits related to the quality and consequences of psychedelic experiences
This retrospective survey (n=143) of Amazon Mechanical Turk participants who self-administered psilocybin identifies factors related to mystical experiences (MEs) and challenging experiences. The study finds a state of surrender predicts MEs, while preoccupation predicts challenging experiences, explaining 66% and 56% of the variance in ME and dread scores, respectively. Mystical experiences during the session also relate to long-term positive changes.
Authors
- Robin Carhart-Harris
Published
Abstract
Many individuals experience significant positive psychological change after ingesting psychedelic agents such as psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca, but some do not. Such changes appear to be mediated by definable and measurable mystical experiences (MEs) during the psychedelic session, which have been shown in previous research (e.g., Griffiths, Richards, McCann, $ Jesse, 2006) to be related to long-term positive personal change. Individual responses to psychedelic agents are characteristically difficult to predict, however, necessitating improved identification of predictors to (a) reduce the possibility of significant challenging experiences and sequelae and (b) increase the possibility of MEs and long-term beneficial outcomes. Our study utilized crowdsourced retrospective survey data from 143 Amazon Mechanical Turk participants who self-administered psilocybin in the past year to identify factors related to MEs and/or challenging experiences. The best performing regression model explained 66% of the variance in ME scores on the 30-item Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MacLean, Leoutsakos, Johnson, $ Griffiths, 2012) and 56% of the variance in scores on the dread subscale of the Sacred Emotions Scale (Burdzy, 2014). A state of surrender at the start of the psilocybin session most strongly explained MEs, and a state of preoccupation most strongly explained challenging experiences. The trait absorption was a strong secondary predictor in both models, along with smaller predictors. Additionally, the occurrence of MEs during the psilocybin session explained long-term positive change. Based on these findings, the presented models appear to provide a powerful framework for explaining the immediate quality and long-term consequences of psychedelic experiences. Limitations as well as implications for therapeutic applications are discussed.
Research Summary of 'States and traits related to the quality and consequences of psychedelic experiences'
Introduction
After a long hiatus, research into classical psychedelics such as psilocybin has resumed and produced striking reports of sustained psychological change following single or a small number of sessions. Prior work has linked such long-term benefits to the occurrence of mystical experiences (MEs) during the drug session, assessed with validated self-report scales, and has shown that MEs can mediate reductions in depression and anxiety as well as increases in well-being and spirituality. However, MEs do not occur reliably for all users and challenging experiences (e.g., anxiety, dread) can also arise; the relative roles of pre-existing personality traits, mental state at ingestion (“set”), and situational factors (“setting”) in producing MEs or challenging reactions remain incompletely specified. Russ and colleagues designed a retrospective, crowdsourced survey study to identify which trait and state factors predict the quality of a psilocybin experience and its longer-term consequences. Specifically, the study examined trait variables (for example, absorption and sceptical cognitive styles labelled “barriers”), newly developed measures of crisis-related states, and proximal mental states at ingestion (notably surrender and preoccupation) as predictors of mystical and challenging experience. A further aim was to test whether proximal state (surrender) could plausibly mediate trait influences on ME, and whether ME in turn mediated longer-term positive change after psilocybin use.
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Study Details
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- APA Citation
Russ, S. L., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Maruyama, G., & Elliott, M. S. (2019). States and traits related to the quality and consequences of psychedelic experiences. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 6(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000169
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