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Exploring Factors Affecting Psychological Flexibility After Psychedelic Experiences.

Bruno Romeo, Ewen Kervadec, Baptiste Fauvel, Lana Strika-Bruneau, Ammar Amirouche, Vincent Verroust, Pascale Piolino, Amine Benyamina

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs April 25, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2025.2495937 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Retrospective online survey Peer reviewed
Population French individuals who had undergone a significant psychedelic experience
Intervention Psychedelic use
Duration 1-month post-experience, 6 months before the survey
Topics LSD Psilocybin
Keywords Psychological flexibility Psychedelics LSD Hallucinogens Entheogens Emotional wellness Mental wellness Emotional resilience Psychological adaptation
Key findings The intensity of the mystical experience and baseline psychological flexibility are key predictors of improvements in psychological flexibility after psychedelic use.

Abstract

Neurobiological effects and psychological models propose that psychedelics may promote psychological flexibility, suggesting a transdiagnostic effect by disrupting maladaptive patterns. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the determinants of psychological flexibility change following a psychedelic use. This retrospective online survey included French individuals who had undergone a significant psychedelic experience. Participants were assessed for mystical experience intensity with the MEQ-30, and psychological flexibility via the AAQ-II, at three retrospective time points. Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, ANCOVA to evaluate the impact of psychedelic use variables on psychological flexibility, and linear regression to identify predictors of psychological flexibility changes. Data showed a positive correlation between mystical experience intensity and improvements in psychological flexibility, especially 1-month post-experience (p < .01), and during the 6 months before the survey (p < .01). Key predictors of changes in psychological flexibility included baseline AAQ-II scores, MEQ total scores and frequent psychedelic use, underlining the interaction between personal and experiential factors in determining therapeutic outcomes. In conclusion, this study highlights how the intensity of mystical experience and baseline psychological flexibility may be the key factors influencing changes in psychological flexibility post-psychedelic use, suggesting a potential therapeutic value.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on LSD, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT Adults reporting a single most memorable God encounter experience, either nondrug or... 2019 Cross-sectional survey n = 4,285
Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... 2001 Cross-sectional survey n = 122
Development of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire among a sample of people who have consumed psilocybin or LSD Psilocybin and LSD users 2021 Cross-sectional survey study n = 1,661
Prevalence and associations of challenging, difficult or distressing experiences using classic psychedelics. US adult population 2023 Cross-sectional survey n = 2,822
Trends in LSD use among US adults: 2015-2018. US adults ages 18 and older 2020 Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data n = 168,562

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LSD Psilocybin Mystical experience Mysticism