Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness
Matthias Forstmann, Christina Sagioglou
Journal of Psychopharmacology June 20, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117714049 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,487 |
| Population | General population online sample |
| Topics | Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Schizotypy Hallucinogen Personality Conscientiousness Population Openness to experience |
| Citations | 153 |
| Key findings | Experience with classic psychedelics uniquely predicts pro-environmental behavior, mediated by nature relatedness, independent of other substance use and personality traits. |
Abstract
In a large-scale ( N = 1487) general population online study, we investigated the relationship between past experience with classic psychedelic substances (e.g. LSD, psilocybin, mescaline), nature relatedness, and ecological behavior (e.g. saving water, recycling). Using structural equation modeling we found that experience with classic psychedelics uniquely predicted self-reported engagement in pro-environmental behaviors, and that this relationship was statistically explained by people’s degree of self-identification with nature. Our model controlled for experiences with other classes of psychoactive substances (cannabis, dissociatives, empathogens, popular legal drugs) as well as common personality traits that usually predict drug consumption and/or nature relatedness (openness to experience, conscientiousness, conservatism). Although correlational in nature, results suggest that lifetime experience with psychedelics in particular may indeed contribute to people’s pro-environmental behavior by changing their self-construal in terms of an incorporation of the natural world, regardless of core personality traits or general propensity to consume mind-altering substances. Thereby, the present research adds to the contemporary literature on the beneficial effects of psychedelic substance use on mental wellbeing, hinting at a novel area for future research investigating their potentially positive effects on a societal level. Limitations of the present research and future directions are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Voice of the Psychonauts: Coping, Life Purpose, and Spirituality in Psychedelic Drug Users Psychedelic drug users, other drug users, and drug nonusers | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 667 |
| Naturalistic Use of Mescaline Is Associated with Self-Reported Psychiatric Improvements and Enduring Positive Life Changes. Adults reporting use of mescaline in naturalistic settings | 2021 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 452 |
| Acute Adverse Reactions to Lsd in Clinical and Experimental use in the United Kingdom Subjects in LSD or mescaline sessions | 1971 | Survey | n = 5,000 |
| Increasing Use of “Ecstasy“ (MDMA) and other Hallucinogens on a College Campus Undergraduate students at a private southern university | 1994 | Random survey |
Citations in the library
Cited by 112
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Predicting Responses to Psychedelics: A Prospective Study Frontiers in Pharmacology November 2, 2018
- Effects of psilocybin therapy on personality structure Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica June 19, 2018
- Psychedelics and connectedness Psychopharmacology August 9, 2017
- Long-term effects of psychedelic drugs: A systematic review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 16, 2020
and 107 more in the library
Cites 30
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
and 25 more in the library