Journal of Affective Disorders
January 26, 2024
Ludwig Honk, Cecilia U.D. Stenfors, Simon B. Goldberg et al.
41 citations
Using data from nearly 10,000 adults in the US and UK, psychedelic use over a two-month period was not linked to changes in psychotic symptoms overall. However, among people with a personal or family history of bipolar disorder, psychedelic use was associated with an increase in symptoms. Conversely, those with a personal history of psychotic disorders experienced a decrease in symptoms. These findings suggest that the effects of psychedelics on psychotic symptoms depend on an individual's psychiatric history.
Psychol Med
March 31, 2025
Otto Simonsson, Simon B. Goldberg, Walter Osika et al.
16 citations
In a large online survey of over 12,000 participants followed for two months, people who used psychedelics outside of medical supervision reported increases in psychotic and manic symptoms. These increases occurred only among those who used psychedelics in an illegal context. The severity of psychotic symptoms rose with more frequent use and more intense challenging experiences, while manic symptoms increased more in individuals with a history of schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder and those who reported a strong sense of insight during their psychedelic experience. The findings suggest that naturalistic psychedelic use in illegal settings may pose risks for certain individuals.
Psychological Medicine
April 1, 2024
Otto Simonsson, Walter Osika, Cecilia U.D. Stenfors et al.
15 citations
People who used psychedelics during a two-month period reported a greater increase in days of mindfulness meditation per week than those who did not. Among psychedelic users, experiencing personal insight during the most intense psychedelic session was linked to larger increases in both mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice. Conversely, more frequent loving-kindness or compassion meditation at the start of the study was associated with less severe feelings of death or dying during the subsequent psychedelic experience. These findings suggest a bidirectional relationship: psychedelics may boost meditation engagement, while meditation may reduce challenging psychedelic experiences.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
July 1, 2022
Elin Pöllänen, Walter Osika, Otto Simonsson et al.
12 citations
People who have used classic psychedelics tend to report less speciesism and more solidarity with animals, though no link was found with their desire to help animals. Among those who used psychedelics, stronger ego dissolution during their most intense experience was associated with less speciesism, more animal solidarity, and a greater desire to help animals. These associations come from a large US-representative sample of 2,822 adults. The authors caution that the findings do not demonstrate causality and call for longitudinal studies to explore whether psychedelic use directly influences human–animal relations.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2023
Otto Simonsson, Cecilia U.D. Stenfors, Simon B. Goldberg et al.
4 citations
Mindfulness meditation and psychedelic use are both associated with positive impacts on leadership, though through different mechanisms. In a representative sample of 3,150 managers in the US and UK, more lifetime hours of mindfulness meditation and greater psychological insight during the most intense psychedelic experience each independently predicted a positive leadership impact (odds ratios 2.33 and 3.49, respectively). Both practices shared subthemes such as improved focus, creativity, patience, empathy, and compassion. Unique to mindfulness were better sleep, stress reduction, and calming effects; unique to psychedelics were greater self-understanding, less hierarchical attitudes, and positive interpersonal changes. The cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions, but the findings suggest complementary benefits for leadership development.
Int J Drug Policy
December 13, 2025
Michelle Olofsson, Walter Osika, Simon B. Goldberg et al.
2 citations
A cross-sectional survey of 3,168 U.S. adults with lifetime psychedelic use found that most (87.9%) reported no difficulties. Among those who did, 6.4% experienced post-acute difficulties lasting more than one day, and 1.3% for more than one year. The most common difficulties were general anxiety, negative changes in self-concept, and social disconnection. Childhood adversity was associated with higher odds of psychedelic-related difficulties: individuals with 2, 3, or 4 or more adverse childhood experiences had roughly double to nearly triple the odds of difficulties compared to those with none. Those with 4 or more ACEs also had higher odds of difficulties persisting beyond one day or one week.
J Psychiatr Res
March 17, 2025
Otto Simonsson, Sankalp Chaturvedi, Peter S. Hendricks et al.
2 citations
Psychedelic use is linked to increases in weekly mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice, especially among people new to psychedelics or meditation. In a longitudinal study of 13,012 US adults aged 18–50, with 7,484 completing follow-up and 336 reporting psychedelic use during the two-month study, those who used psychedelics showed greater gains in meditation days. Among psychedelic users, higher baseline trait mindfulness and self-compassion predicted less severe challenging experiences and lower odds of psychedelic-related thoughts or attempts of self- or other-harm. However, for those already meditating, psychedelic use was associated with more meditation-related difficulties and impairments.