Psychedelic use predicts objective knowledge about climate change via increases in nature relatedness
Christina Sagioglou, Matthias Forstmann
Drug Science Policy and Law 2022 DOI: 10.1177/20503245221129803 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 641 |
| Population | International convenience sample of adults |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Climate change Substance use Environmental change Ecology |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Lifetime psychedelic use, particularly psilocybin, predicts objective climate change knowledge directly and indirectly via nature relatedness, and predicts climate change concern indirectly via nature relatedness. |
Abstract
Lifetime psychedelic substance use has previously been linked to nature relatedness and pro-environmental behaviour. Yet, participants’ responses to the self-report measures in these studies may have been affected by stereotypical associations or confirmation bias. We therefore re-examined this link by measuring three pro-environmental dependent variables: nature relatedness, concerns about climate change, and objective knowledge about climate change. Additionally assessing lifetime experience with 30 psychoactive substances, we collected an international convenience sample for an online survey ( n = 641), Controlling for age, educational attainment, and covariation in substance use indicators, psychedelic use (primarily the use of psilocybin) predicted objective knowledge about climate change directly, and indirectly via nature relatedness. Further, it predicted concern about climate change indirectly via nature relatedness. The results suggest that the relationship of psychedelics with pro-environmental variables is not due to psychological biases, but manifests in variables as diverse as emotional affinity towards nature as well as knowledge about climate change.