Depressive DisordersPTSDAnxiety DisordersCreativityInterpersonal Functioning & Social ConnectednessPsilocybin

Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy, Creative Thinking, and Subjective Well-Being

This open-label study (n=55) found that a high-dose of psilocybin at a retreat led to more divergent thinking and emotional empathy the day after (n=50). At seven days (n=22) enhancement of convergent thinking and well-being persisted.

Authors

  • Kim Kuypers
  • Nathalie Mason
  • Morten Uthaug

Published

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
individual Study

Abstract

Creative thinking and empathy are crucial for everyday interactions and subjective well-being. This is emphasized by studies showing a reduction in these skills in populations where social interaction and subjective well-being are significantly compromised (e.g., depression). Anecdotal reports and recent studies suggest that a single administration of psilocybin can enhance such processes and could therefore be a potential treatment. However, it has yet to be assessed whether effects outlast acute intoxication. The present study aimed to assess the sub-acute effects of psilocybin on creative thinking, empathy, and well-being. Participants attending a psilocybin retreat completed tests of creative (convergent and divergent) thinking and empathy, and the satisfaction with life scale on three occasions: before ingesting psilocybin (N = 55), the morning after (N = 50), and seven days after (N = 22). Results indicated that psilocybin enhanced divergent thinking and emotional empathy the morning after use. Enhancements in convergent thinking, valence-specific emotional empathy, and well-being persisted seven days after use. Subacute changes in empathy correlated with changes in well-being. The study demonstrates that a single administration of psilocybin in a social setting may be associated with sub-acute enhancement of creative thinking, empathy, and subjective well-being. Future research should test whether these effects contribute to the therapeutic effects in clinical populations.

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Research Summary of 'Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy, Creative Thinking, and Subjective Well-Being'

Introduction

Creativity and empathy are important for everyday social functioning and subjective well-being, and previous work shows both are reduced in stress-related psychopathologies such as depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD. Creativity is framed as having convergent (CT) and divergent (DT) components: CT denotes generating a single optimal solution, whereas DT denotes generating many varied ideas. Emotional empathy (EE) refers to sharing others' feelings, while cognitive empathy (CE) denotes recognising and understanding others' emotions. Earlier research indicates that these processes are plastic and can be enhanced by interventions, and anecdotal and quasi-experimental studies suggest that a single administration of psychedelics such as ayahuasca, LSD or psilocybin can enhance creative thinking and emotional empathy; clinical studies have also reported sustained improvements in well-being after psilocybin administration. However, it remained unclear whether such effects persist beyond the acute intoxication period and how changes in creativity and empathy relate to subjective well-being. Mason and colleagues designed the present naturalistic study to assess sub-acute effects of a single psilocybin administration on convergent and divergent thinking, cognitive and emotional empathy, and life satisfaction. The authors hypothesised that DT, CT, EE and satisfaction with life would be enhanced sub-acutely while CE would remain unchanged, and that improvements in creativity and empathy would correlate with increased life satisfaction. They also hypothesised that participants with prior psilocybin experience would report higher baseline life satisfaction than psilocybin-naïve participants.

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Study Details

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Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy,... — Research Summary & Context | Blossom