Naturalistic Use of Mescaline Is Associated with Self-Reported Psychiatric Improvements and Enduring Positive Life Changes.
Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Trevor F Haas, Rafael Lancelotta, Malin V. Uthaug, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Alan K. Davis
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science April 9, 2021 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 452 |
| Population | Adults reporting use of mescaline in naturalistic settings |
| Intervention | Mescaline |
| Topics | Mescaline |
| Citations | 121 |
| Key findings | Most respondents with a history of psychiatric conditions reported subjective improvement after their most memorable mescaline experience, and acute psychological insight was associated with increased odds of improvement in depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. |
Abstract
Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid that has been used as a sacrament by Indigenous populations in spiritual ritual and healing ceremonies for millennia. Despite promising early preliminary research and favorable anecdotal reports, there is limited research investigating mescaline's psychotherapeutic potential. We administered an anonymous online questionnaire to adults (N = 452) reporting use of mescaline in naturalistic settings about mental health benefits attributed to mescaline. We assessed respondents' self-reported improvements in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol and drug use disorders (AUD and DUD). Of the respondents reporting histories of these clinical conditions, most (68-86%) reported subjective improvement following their most memorable mescaline experience. Respondents who reported an improvement in their psychiatric conditions reported significantly higher ratings of acute psychological factors including mystical-type, psychological insight, and ego dissolution effects compared to those who did not report improvements (Cohen's d range 0.7 - 1.5). Many respondents (35-50%) rated the mescaline experience as the single or top five most spiritually significant or meaningful experience(s) of their lives. Acute experiences of psychological insight during their mescaline experience were associated with increased odds of reporting improvement in depression, anxiety, AUD and DUD. Additional research is needed to corroborate these preliminary findings and to rigorously examine the efficacy of mescaline for psychiatric treatment in controlled, longitudinal clinical trials.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness General population online sample | 2017 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,487 |
| Voice of the Psychonauts: Coping, Life Purpose, and Spirituality in Psychedelic Drug Users Psychedelic drug users, other drug users, and drug nonusers | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 667 |
| Acute Adverse Reactions to Lsd in Clinical and Experimental use in the United Kingdom Subjects in LSD or mescaline sessions | 1971 | Survey | n = 5,000 |
| Increasing Use of “Ecstasy“ (MDMA) and other Hallucinogens on a College Campus Undergraduate students at a private southern university | 1994 | Random survey |
Citations in the library
Cited by 93
- Adverse effects of psychedelics: From anecdotes and misinformation to systematic science. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 2, 2022
- Mescaline: The forgotten psychedelic Neuropharmacology October 14, 2022
- Psychedelic therapy in the treatment of addiction: the past, present and future Frontiers in Psychiatry June 12, 2023
- Antidepressant effects of a psychedelic experience in a large prospective naturalistic sample. Journal of Psychopharmacology August 1, 2022
- Investigation of self-treatment with lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin mushrooms: Findings from the Global Drug Survey 2020 Journal of Psychopharmacology March 6, 2023
and 88 more in the library
Cites 45
- 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
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
and 40 more in the library