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Comparison of psychedelic and near-death or other non-ordinary experiences in changing attitudes about death and dying

Mary M. Sweeney, Sandeep M. Nayak, Ethan Hurwitz, Lisa N. Mitchell, Thomas Cody Swift, Roland R. Griffiths

PLoS One August 24, 2022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271926 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed
Sample size 3,192
Population Individuals who reported an experience that altered their beliefs about death, occasioned by a psychedelic drug or a near-death or other non-ordinary experience
Topics LSD Mysticism Psilocybin Near-death experience
Keywords Clinical psychology Hallucinogen
Citations 60
Key findings Both psychedelic and non-drug experiences that change death attitudes produce similar reductions in fear of death and high ratings of personal meaning, though psychedelic experiences show greater mystical and near-death features.

Abstract

Both psychedelic drug experiences and near-death experiences can occasion changes in perspectives on death and dying, but there have been few direct comparisons of these phenomena. This study directly compared psychedelic occasioned and non-drug experiences which altered individuals’ beliefs about death. Individuals who reported an experience that altered their beliefs about death occasioned by either a psychedelic drug or a near-death or other non-ordinary experience completed an online survey. Circumstances of the experience, mystical and near-death subjective features, changes in attitudes about death, and other persisting effects were evaluated. The study sample ( n = 3192) included five groups: non-drug near-death or other non-ordinary experiences ( n = 933), and drug experiences occasioned by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) ( n = 904), psilocybin ( n = 766), ayahuasca ( n = 282), or N , N- dimethyltryptamine (DMT) ( n = 307). Analyses of differences in experiences were adjusted statistically for demographic differences between groups. Compared to the psychedelic groups, the non-drug group was more likely to report being unconscious, clinically dead, and that their life was in imminent danger. The groups were remarkably similar in the reported changes in death attitudes attributed to the experience, including a reduced fear of death and high ratings of positive persisting effects and personal meaning, spiritual significance, and psychological insight. Although both psychedelic and non-drug participants showed robust increases on standardized measures of mystical and near-death experiences, these measures were significantly greater in the psychedelic participants. Non-drug participants were more likely to rate their experiences as the single most meaningful of their lives. Comparing across psychedelic substances, ayahuasca and DMT groups tended report stronger and more positive enduring consequences of the experience than the psilocybin and LSD groups, which were largely indistinguishable. These data provide a detailed characterization and comparison of psychedelic occasioned and non-drug experiences that changed attitudes about death and suggest the importance of future prospective psychedelic administration studies.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on LSD, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT Adults reporting a single most memorable God encounter experience, either nondrug or... 2019 Cross-sectional survey n = 4,285
Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... 2001 Cross-sectional survey n = 122
Development of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire among a sample of people who have consumed psilocybin or LSD Psilocybin and LSD users 2021 Cross-sectional survey study n = 1,661
Prevalence and associations of challenging, difficult or distressing experiences using classic psychedelics. US adult population 2023 Cross-sectional survey n = 2,822
Trends in LSD use among US adults: 2015-2018. US adults ages 18 and older 2020 Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data n = 168,562

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LSD Mysticism Psilocybin Near-death experience Ayahuasca DMT Mystical experience