Psychedelics alter metaphysical beliefs.
Christopher Timmermann, Hannes Kettner, Chris Letheby, Leor Roseman, Fernando E. Rosas, Robin Carhart-Harris
Scientific Reports November 23, 2021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01209-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective online survey with independent controlled clinical trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Large sample derived from prospective online surveying |
| Intervention | psychedelic drugs |
| Duration | At least 6 months |
| Citations | 208 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic use is associated with lasting shifts away from physicalism toward panpsychism and fatalism, mediated by emotional synchrony and moderated by baseline impressionability. |
Abstract
Can the use of psychedelic drugs induce lasting changes in metaphysical beliefs? While it is popularly believed that they can, this question has never been formally tested. Here we exploited a large sample derived from prospective online surveying to determine whether and how beliefs concerning the nature of reality, consciousness, and free-will, change after psychedelic use. Results revealed significant shifts away from 'physicalist' or 'materialist' views, and towards panpsychism and fatalism, post use. With the exception of fatalism, these changes endured for at least 6 months, and were positively correlated with the extent of past psychedelic-use and improved mental-health outcomes. Path modelling suggested that the belief-shifts were moderated by impressionability at baseline and mediated by perceived emotional synchrony with others during the psychedelic experience. The observed belief-shifts post-psychedelic-use were consolidated by data from an independent controlled clinical trial. Together, these findings imply that psychedelic-use may causally influence metaphysical beliefs-shifting them away from 'hard materialism'. We discuss whether these apparent effects are contextually independent.