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William A. Richards

Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine

24 papers in the library · 5,365 citations · publishing 1970-2026

Papers

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Integrating the Mystical Experience Questionnaire Into a Broader Psychometric Framework: English Validation of the Psychedelic Experience Scale and Comparison of Psilocybin and LSD Sessions Across Two Controlled Settings

Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) April 30, 2026 Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Frederick S. Barrett et al.

Objectives: For English, the validated part of Psychedelic Experience Scale (PES48) is a four-factor structure called the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30). The other validated part of the PES48 consists of four more factors: two more mystical factors (paradoxicality and connectedness, which together with the MEQ30 form the MEQ40), and two more non-mystical factors (visual experience...

DOI: 10.3929/ethz-c-000799490 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Mysticism Scale ratio German +8

Effects of Psilocybin on Religious and Spiritual Attitudes and Behaviors in Clergy from Various Major World Religions

Psychedelic Medicine May 16, 2025 Roland R. Griffiths, William A. Richards, Robert L. Jesse et al. 14 citations

Background: Although historical writings, anthropological accounts, and experimental studies document associations between psilocybin use and religion, no prospective experimental study has investigated how the effects of psilocybin are experienced and interpreted by religious clergy. This exploratory study evaluated the overall safety and the acute and enduring effects of psilocybin in clergy....

DOI: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0044 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Hallucinogen Psychotherapist

The Afterglow Inventory (AGI): Validation of a new instrument for measuring subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics

Journal of Psychopharmacology March 31, 2025 Tomislav Majić, Timo Torsten Schmidt, Anna Gröticke et al. 4 citations

Background: Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide are anecdotally associated with the phenomenon of “psychedelic afterglow,” a set of predominantly pleasant, temporary psychological effects reported after the acute effects have subsided. Since post-acute effects are crucial for the therapeutic use of psychedelics, an instrument to systematically assess subacute...

DOI: 10.1177/02698811251326937 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Lysergic acid diethylamide Afterglow Clinical psychology +2

Psilocybin‐assisted group therapy in patients with cancer diagnosed with a major depressive disorder

Cancer December 18, 2023 Manish Agrawal, Yvan Beaussant, Sarah Shnayder et al. 73 citations

Abstract Background Depression is common in patients with cancer and is associated with lower treatment adherence and reduced quality of life. Antidepressants and psychotherapy have limited success in improving depression among patients with cancer. This study explored the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of psilocybin‐assisted therapy in patients with cancer and major depressive disorder....

DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35010 (opens in new tab) Major depressive disorder Psilocybin Cancer Oncology

Assessment of Psilocybin Therapy for Patients With Cancer and Major Depression Disorder

JAMA Oncology April 13, 2023 Manish Agrawal, Ezekiel Emanuel, Brian D. Richards et al. 48 citations

This nonrandomized controlled trial used a 1-to-1 therapist-to-patient ratio to administer psilocybin to groups of patients with cancer who were diagnosed with major depression disorder to create a scalable, rapidly effective depression treatment.

DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.0351 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Major depressive disorder Depression economics Cancer therapy +2

Development and Evaluation of a Therapist Training Program for Psilocybin Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Clinical Research

Frontiers in Psychiatry February 3, 2021 Sara Tai, Elizabeth M. Nielson, Molly Lennard-Jones et al. 87 citations

Introduction: Psychological support throughout psilocybin therapy is mandated by regulators as an essential part of ensuring participants' physical and psychological safety. There is an increased need for specially trained therapists who can provide high-quality care to participants in clinical studies. This paper describes the development and practical implementation of a therapist training...

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.586682 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin General partnership Mental health Psychotherapist +3

Music in Psychedelic Research: The Continuing Legacy of Helen Bonny

Journal of the Association for Music and Imagery 2021 William A. Richards

This invited keynote lecture was presented to the attendees of the 2021 conference of the Association for Music and Imagery. Based on his critically acclaimed book, Sacred Knowledge, this lecture explored the science and art of using music as a dynamic presence during psychedelic psychotherapy sessions. It described some of the early history of explorations of the use of music and psychedelic...

DOI: 10.59451/jami.11706 (opens in new tab) Visual arts Music therapy Music history Psychoanalysis +2

Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy: use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions

International Review of Psychiatry July 4, 2018 Albert Garcia‐romeu, William A. Richards 186 citations

Humans have used serotonergic hallucinogens (i.e. psychedelics) for spiritual, ceremonial, and recreational purposes for thousands of years, but their administration as part of a structured therapeutic intervention is still a relatively novel practice within Western medical and psychological frameworks. In the mid-20th century, considerable advances were made in developing therapeutic...

DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2018.1486289 (opens in new tab)

Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors

Journal of Psychopharmacology October 11, 2017 Roland R. Griffiths, Matthew W. Johnson, William A. Richards et al. 528 citations

Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences with participant-attributed increases in well-being. However, little research has examined enduring changes in traits. This study administered psilocybin to participants who undertook a program of meditation/spiritual practices. Healthy participants were randomized to three groups (25 each): (1) very low-dose (1 mg/70 kg on sessions 1 and 2)...

DOI: 10.1177/0269881117731279 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Meditation Spirituality Prosocial behavior +5

Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial

Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016 Annie Umbricht, Mary P Cosimano, Roland R. Griffiths et al. 2,174 citations

Cancer patients often develop chronic, clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. Previous studies suggest that psilocybin may decrease depression and anxiety in cancer patients. The effects of psilocybin were studied in 51 cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. This randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial investigated the...

DOI: 10.1177/0269881116675513 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Anxiety Mood Randomized controlled trial +2

Psychedelic Psychotherapy: Insights From 25 Years of Research

Journal of Humanistic Psychology September 29, 2016 William A. Richards 70 citations

Presented at a conference titled “Psychedelic Science 2013,” highlighting the resumption of investigations with psychedelic substances (i.e., psilocybin, DMT, LSD, MMDA, etc.) in the United States and Europe after a dormant period of more than two decades, the author presents insights and perspectives gleaned from his 25 years of clinical research experience. After acknowledging the vastness...

DOI: 10.1177/0022167816670996 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Psychotherapist Consciousness Psyche +7

HERE AND NOW: DISCOVERING THE SACRED WITH ENTHEOGENS

Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science September 2, 2014 William A. Richards 17 citations

Renewed research with entheogens (psychedelic substances) has been able to facilitate the occurrence of mystical forms of consciousness in healthy volunteers with a high degree of reliability. This article explores the potential significance of this development for religious scholars, especially those interested in the study of mysticism. The definition of “mystical consciousness” employed in...

DOI: 10.1111/zygo.12108 (opens in new tab)

The Phenomenology and Potential Religious Import of States of Consciousness Facilitated by Psilocybin

Archive for the Psychology of Religion 2008 William A. Richards 19 citations

Accompanying the resumption of human research with the entheogen (psychedelic drug), psilocybin, the range of states of consciousness reported during its action, including both nonmystical and mystical forms of experience, is surveyed and defined. The science and art of facilitating mystical experiences is discussed on the basis of research experience. The potential religious import of these...

DOI: 10.1163/157361208x317196 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Mysticism Consciousness Altered state +10

Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance

Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006 Roland R. Griffiths, William A. Richards, U. Mccann et al. 1,684 citations

RationaleAlthough psilocybin has been used for centuries for religious purposes, little is known scientifically about its acute and persisting effects.ObjectivesThis double-blind study evaluated the acute and longer-term psychological effects of a high dose of psilocybin relative to a comparison compound administered under comfortable, supportive conditions.Materials and methodsThe participants...

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Anxiety Hallucinogen Clinical psychology +1

DPT as an Adjunct in Brief Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying February 1, 1980 William A. Richards, John Rhead, Stanislav Grof et al. 20 citations

Thirty cancer patients suffering from psychological distress participated in a pilot project of individual psychotherapy that offered – over a four week period of time – approximately twelve hours of conventional verbal interaction and a single intensive drug-assisted therapy session that employed dipropyltryptamine (DPT), a short-acting psychedelic drug. The efficacy of the total therapeutic...

DOI: 10.2190/ngub-v4rm-t7dc-xth3 (opens in new tab) Psychedelic therapy Dpt therapy Drug-assisted therapy Psychedelic treatment +15

MDA-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH NEUROTIC OUTPATIENTS

The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease October 1, 1976 Richard Yensen, Francesco B. Di Leo, John Rhead et al. 51 citations

Ten neurotic patients (five males and five females) were treated over a period of 2 to 6 months (mean, 4.1) as outpatients. The study allowed for a maximum of 75 hours of psychotherapy (mean, 51.55 hours). During the course of treatment, two to four (mean, 3.5) administrations of MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine) were employed as adjunctive aids in an effort to enhance the psychotherapeutic...

DOI: 10.1097/00005053-197610000-00002 (opens in new tab) Anxiety Neuroticism Rating scale Depression economics +5

LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer

International Pharmacopsychiatry 1973 Stanislav Grof, Louis E. Goodman, William A. Richards et al. 212 citations

The paper describes the results of a clinical study exploring the potential of a complex psychotherapeutic program utilizing psychedelic compounds to alleviate the emotional and physical suffering of cancer patients. A total of 60 cancer patients participated in this experimental study. In 44 of these patients, LSD (200-500 p%per os) was administered as an adjunct to psychotherapy; in 19...

DOI: 10.1159/000467984 (opens in new tab) Terminal cancer Terminal telecommunication Psychotherapist Terminal care