Associations between psychedelic-related and meditation-related variables: A longitudinal study.
Otto Simonsson, Sankalp Chaturvedi, Peter S. Hendricks, Cecilia U.D. Stenfors, Walter Osika, Jayanth Narayanan, Roman Palitsky, Simon B. Goldberg
Journal of Psychiatric Research March 17, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.025 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13,012 |
| Population | US residents aged 18–50 |
| Duration | Two-month study |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Consciousness Mystical experiences |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic use was associated with increases in weekly mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice, but also with greater meditation-related difficulties among baseline meditators. |
Abstract
Previous research has investigated associations between psychedelic experiences and meditation practice, but knowledge gaps remain. Using a longitudinal research design with a sample of US residents between 18 and 50 years old (N = 13,012), we investigated associations between psychedelic-related and meditation-related variables. The follow-up survey was completed by 7484 respondents, of whom 336 reported psychedelic use during the two-month study. In covariate-adjusted regression models, psychedelic use was associated with greater increases in the number of days of mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice in the past week, especially among those with no prior experience of psychedelics or meditation. Among those who reported psychedelic use, trait mindfulness and trait self-compassion at baseline were associated with less severe challenging psychedelic experiences, as well as lower odds of psychedelic-occasioned thoughts or attempts of self- or other-harm. However, among those who practiced meditation at baseline, psychedelic use was associated with greater increases in past-week frequency of loving-kindness or compassion meditation-related difficulties and impairments. Future research is warranted. • Psychedelic use associated with increase in the number of past-week days of meditation practice • Psychedelic use associated with increase in loving-kindness or compassion meditation-related difficulties and impairments. • Trait mindfulness and self-compassion associated with less severe challenging psychedelic experiences.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 35
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Journal of Psychopharmacology November 18, 2016
and 30 more in the library