Psychedelic Experiences Increase Mind Perception but do not Change Atheist-Believer Status: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
Sandeep M. Nayak, Sydney H White, Samantha Hilbert, Matthew X. Lowe, Heather Jackson, Roland R. Griffiths, Albert Garcia‐romeu, David B. Yaden
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs May 7, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2346130 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective longitudinal study Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 657 |
| Population | People who planned to have a psilocybin experience outside a laboratory setting |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Belief change Mind perception Consciousness awareness Sentience Cognition Belief systems worldview Ideology Faith Religious beliefs |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin experiences were associated with increased mind perception across various targets but not with changes in metaphysical beliefs or Atheist-Believer status. |
Abstract
Recent studies suggest psychedelic use may be associated with changes in a variety of beliefs or belief-like states, including increased 1) mind perception, 2) non-naturalistic beliefs, and 3) Atheist-Believer status (e.g. believer, agnostic, or nonbeliever). We conducted a prospective longitudinal study among participants (N = 657) who planned to have a psilocybin experience outside a laboratory setting. We asked participants about their beliefs concerning mind perception of various entities, specific metaphysical positions, and Atheist-Believer status both before (and after their experience. Replicating previous findings, we observed increases in mind perception across a variety of living and non-living targets (e.g. plants, rocks). However, we found little to no change in metaphysical beliefs (e.g. dualism) or Atheist-Believer status. Taken together, these findings contrast with those from cross-sectional studies that psilocybin experiences result in changes to Atheist-Believer status and non-naturalistic beliefs but support the relevance of mind perception and mentalization.