Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects.
Roland R. Griffiths, Matthew W Johnson, William A Richards, Brian D. Richards, Una D. Mccann, Robert L. Jesse
Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2358-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Healthy adults, mostly hallucinogen-naïve |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | 0, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg/70 kg, p.o. |
| Duration | Five 8-hour sessions at 1-month intervals, with follow-up at 1 month and 14 months |
| Topics | Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Entheogens Hallucinogens Personal growth Self-development Self-improvement Transformation Well-being Positive change Lasting change Mystical experiences Spiritual experiences Peak experiences Transcendence Profound awe Psilocybin therapy Clinical trials Therapeutic research Drug studies Mental health treatment |
| Citations | 938 |
| Key findings | Under supportive conditions, 20 and 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior. |
Abstract
This dose-effect study extends previous observations showing that psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior. This double-blind study evaluated psilocybin (0, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg/70 kg, p.o.) administered under supportive conditions. Participants were 18 adults (17 hallucinogen-naïve). Five 8-h sessions were conducted individually for each participant at 1-month intervals. Participants were randomized to receive the four active doses in either ascending or descending order (nine participants each). Placebo was scheduled quasi-randomly. During sessions, volunteers used eyeshades and were instructed to direct their attention inward. Volunteers completed questionnaires assessing effects immediately after and 1 month after each session, and at 14 months follow-up. Psilocybin produced acute perceptual and subjective effects including, at 20 and/or 30 mg/70 kg, extreme anxiety/fear (39% of volunteers) and/or mystical-type experience (72% of volunteers). One month after sessions at the two highest doses, volunteers rated the psilocybin experience as having substantial personal and spiritual significance, and attributed to the experience sustained positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior, with the ascending dose sequence showing greater positive effects. At 14 months, ratings were undiminished and were consistent with changes rated by community observers. Both the acute and persisting effects of psilocybin were generally a monotonically increasing function of dose, with the lowest dose showing significant effects. Under supportive conditions, 20 and 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior. Implications for therapeutic trials are discussed.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for 4 syntheses in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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High doses (20 and 30 mg/70 kg) occasioned mystical-type experiences with sustained positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior that were undiminished at 14 months.
Synthesized
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At 20 and 30 mg/70 kg, psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences in 72% of volunteers, with persisting positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior that were undiminished at 14 months.
Synthesized
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State of the evidence: Psilocybin Supports
Doses of 20 and 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences with persisting positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior that were undiminished at 14 months.
Synthesized
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High doses of psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences with sustained positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior at 14 months.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder Adults aged 25–65 with DSM-IV alcohol dependence and at least 4 heavy drinking days in... | 2022 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 95 |
| Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Patients with treatment-resistant depression and patients with major depressive disorder | 2022 | Open-label trial and double-blind phase II randomized controlled trial | |
| Single-dose psilocybin-assisted therapy in major depressive disorder: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised clinical trial. Adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder and no unstable somatic conditions | 2023 | Double-blind, randomised clinical trial | n = 52 |
| Implications for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: functional magnetic resonance imaging study with psilocybin Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 10 |
| The Watts Connectedness Scale: a new scale for measuring a sense of connectedness to self, others, and world Adults who had a planned psychedelic experience (online surveys) and adults with major... | 2022 | Scale validation with data from two prospective observational online surveys and a double-blind randomized controlled trial | n = 1,278 |