Longitudinal associations between psychedelic use and meditation practices in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Otto Simonsson, Walter Osika, Cecilia U.D. Stenfors, Simon B. Goldberg, Ludwig Honk, Peter S. Hendricks
Psychological Medicine April 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003082 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9,732 |
| Population | US and UK adults representative by sex, age, and ethnicity |
| Duration | 2-month study period |
| Topics | Meditation Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Compassion Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Meditation mindfulness Contemplation Spiritual practice Mental states Awareness studies Mind-body practices |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic use during the study period was associated with greater increases in days of mindfulness meditation practice, and among users, subjective insight was associated with greater increases in both mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation. |
Abstract
Previous research has proposed that there may be potential synergies between psychedelic and meditation interventions, but there are still knowledge gaps that merit further investigation. Using a longitudinal observational research design with samples representative of the US and UK adult population with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity (N = 9732), we investigated potential associations between self-reported psychedelic use and meditation practice. The follow-up survey was completed by 7667 respondents (79% retention rate), with 100 respondents reporting psychedelic use during the 2-month study period (1.3% of follow-up respondents). In covariate-adjusted regression models, psychedelic use during the study period was associated with greater increases in the number of days of mindfulness meditation practice in the past week (B = 0.40, p = 0.004). Among those who reported psychedelic use during the study period, covariate-adjusted regression models revealed that the subjective experience of insight during respondents' most intense psychedelic experience in that period was also associated with greater increases in the number of days of mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice in the past week (B = 0.42, p = 0.021; B = 0.38, p = 0.017). Notably, more days of loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice in the past week at baseline was associated with less severe subjective feelings of death or dying during respondents' most intense psychedelic experience in the study period (B = -0.29, p = 0.037). Psychedelic use might lead to greater engagement with meditation practices such as mindfulness meditation, while meditation practices such as loving-kindness or compassion medication might buffer against certain challenging experiences associated with psychedelic use.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on psilocybin and meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A single psilocybin dose is associated with long-term increased mindfulness, preceded by a proportional change in neocortical 5-HT2A receptor binding Healthy, psychedelic-naïve volunteers | 2020 | Observational cohort | n = 10 |
| Lasting increases in trait mindfulness after psilocybin correlate positively with the mystical-type experience in healthy individuals Healthy individuals | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 39 |
| Decreases in State and Trait Anxiety Post-psilocybin: A Naturalistic, Observational Study Among Retreat Attendees Self-reported healthy volunteers attending psilocybin ceremonies | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 52 |
| Comparing Neural Correlates of Consciousness: From Psychedelics to Hypnosis and Meditation Healthy adults | 2023 | Observational cohort | n = 107 |
| Classic psychedelic use and current meditation practice. Adults aged 18 years or older in the United States | 2023 | Retrospective, population-based observational study | n = 2,822 |