Naturalistic Psilocybin Use Increases Mind Perception but not Atheist-Believer status: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
Sandeep M. Nayak, Sydney H White, Samantha Hilbert, Matthew X. Lowe, Heather Jackson, Roland R. Griffiths, Albert Garcia‐romeu, David B. Yaden
June 9, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/auycp_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective longitudinal study Cross-sectional |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 657 |
| Population | People who planned to have a psychedelic experience |
| Intervention | psychedelic experience |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Naturalism Naturalistic observation Perception Longitudinal study Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic use was associated with increased mind perception across various entities but not with changes in metaphysical beliefs or Atheist-Believer status. |
Abstract
Recent studies suggest psychedelic use may be associated with changes in a variety of beliefs or belief-like states, including increased 1) mind perception, 2) non-naturalistic beliefs, and 3) Atheist-Believer status (e.g., believer, agnostic, or non-believer). We conducted a prospective longitudinal study among participants (N = 657) who planned to have a psychedelic experience. We asked participants about their beliefs concerning mind perception of various entities, specific metaphysical positions, and Atheist-Believer status both before and after their experience. Replicating previous findings, we observed increases in mind perception across a variety of living and non-living targets (e.g., plants, animals). However, we found little to no change in metaphysical beliefs (e.g., dualism) or Atheist-Believer status. Taken together, these findings contrast with those from cross-sectional studies that psychedelic experiences result in changes to Atheist-Believer status and non-naturalistic beliefs but support the relevance of mind perception and mentalization.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 19 |
| Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Healthy volunteers | 2019 | Observational cohort | n = 8 |
| Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans | 2017 | Observational study | |
| Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012) | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 190,000 |
| Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 409 |