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Intention-Setting Among Recreational Psychedelic Users: Associated Acute Effects and Changes in Well-Being.

Fiona Low, Mitch Earleywine

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs May 22, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2026.2673844 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Retrospective, mixed-methods, cross-sectional study Peer reviewed
Population Psychedelic users in naturalistic settings
Topics Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords Intentions Psychedelics Substance use
Key findings Intentions related to mental health, self-discovery, and physical health are associated with greater subjective effects and improved well-being, while recreational intentions are linked to worse outcomes.

Abstract

Limited research suggests that distinct intentions covary with acute experiences and subsequent outcomes. Nevertheless, data on the types of intentions set by users remain scarce, and their effects lack clarity. This study uses a retrospective, mixed-methods, cross-sectional approach to investigate intention-setting among psychedelic users. We establish a taxonomy of intentions in naturalistic use and examine how domain-specific intentions correlate with acute effects and changes in well-being. Additionally, we test qualities for effective intention-setting. The most common intentions focus on self-discovery and personal growth, as well as healing and mental health. Participants reported that intention-setting provided direction and cognitive focus, as well as positive emotional anchoring. Intentions related to mental health, self-expansion, and physical health were associated with greater subjective effects, including mystical experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and challenging experiences, as well as improved well-being and reductions in dysfunctional attitudes. In contrast, recreational intentions were unrelated to reductions in dysfunctional attitudes and correlated negatively with changes in well-being. Finally, intentions that were specific, relevant, and integrated after the psychedelic experience correlated with improvements in well-being. Unexpectedly, flexible intentions covaried with worse outcomes. These data suggest that specific, relevant, integrated intentions focused on self-discovery and mental health might offer the most benefits.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression enrolled in an open-label trial of psilocybin 2017 Qualitative study n = 20
LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases 2014 Prospective follow-up with qualitative content analysis n = 10
Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Adults aged 22 to 69 with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis 2017 Qualitative study n = 13
Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study 2018 Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis n = 12
The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy Patients undergoing psychedelic therapy with psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression 2018 Qualitative study n = 19

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Psychedelic-assisted therapy Mystical experience Mysticism