Meditation trips: A thematic analysis of the combined naturalistic use of psychedelics with meditation practices.
Kiana Azmoodeh, Emily Thomas, Sunjeev K Kamboj
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology December 19, 2022 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000617 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 875 |
| Population | Psychedelic users recruited outside treatment, retreat, or research settings who completed an online survey; 345 had combined psychedelics with meditation, and 256 of those provided written accounts |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Substance withdrawal syndrome Hallucinogens Surveys and questionnaires |
| Key findings | Participants' written accounts describe psychedelic and meditative states as compatible and mutually enhancing, with benefits for acceptance, connection, peacefulness, and transformation, but also negative effects of combined use. The authors argue these experiences support empirical and theoretical work on psychedelic-meditation complementarity and suggest meditation techniques might act as a "psychedelic-sparing" strategy, potentially enabling therapeutically important effects at lower doses. |
Abstract
Similarities between meditative and psychedelic states have long been recognized. Recently, parallels in the psychological mechanisms mediating the beneficial effects of mindfulness and psychedelic treatments-as well as their potential therapeutic complementarity-have been noted. However, empirical research in this area remains limited. Here, we explore the naturalistic use of meditation practices among psychedelic users recruited outside of treatment/retreat or research settings. Participants with ≥ 1 psychedelic drug experience(s) were included in an online survey. The majority (n = 875; 66.5%) indicated that they engaged in meditation, 39.4% (n = 345) of whom had combined psychedelic use with meditation practices on ≥ 1 occasion. The majority (74.2%; n = 256) provided written accounts describing their experiences of "psychedelic-meditation," which were the basis for the present thematic analytic study. Six overarching themes were identified: (1) Compatibility Between Psychedelic and Meditative States; (2) Enhancement of the Meditative and Psychedelic Experience; (3) Beneficial Changes in Relating to the Internal and External World (encompassing acceptance, connection, peacefulness, and transformation); (4) Negative Effects of Combined Use; (5) Meditation as a Preparatory and Navigational Tool; and (6) Contextual Considerations (including reflections upon, and practical advice about, combining meditation and psychedelics). Participants' experiences appear to support recent empirical and theoretical work on the parallels and complementarity between psychedelic drug effects and meditation. The findings identify facilitating conditions for combining psychedelics with meditation, which may have implications for their combined therapeutic use. For example, the use of meditation techniques might represent a "psychedelic-sparing" strategy, potentially enabling therapeutically important psychedelic effects to emerge at lower doses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.