Psychedelic ego-dissolution: a philosophical and qualitative critique.
Jason K. Day, Dan Zahavi
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences November 10, 2026 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2025.0154 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 411 |
| Population | 5-MeO-DMT trip reports |
| Topics | 5-MeO-DMT Ego dissolution |
| Keywords | For-me-ness Psychedelics Self-consciousness Subjectivity |
| Key findings | Argues that claims of total selflessness during 5-MeO-DMT experiences are unwarranted because the notions of 'self' and 'self-consciousness' used are overinflated and more minimal forms remain. Proposes that extreme ego-dissolution involves a radically minimal self-consciousness in which the subject's identity is experienced as unfamiliar and underdetermined. |
Abstract
Ego-dissolution is a phenomenon of central interest across interdisciplinary research on psychedelics. In this paper, we present a philosophical and qualitative critique of the claim that ego-dissolution can result in conscious states with no phenomenal sense of self, i.e., states that completely lack any form of self-consciousness. We first turn to recent publications by Chris Letheby and Raphaël Millière, for whom trip reports of experiences induced by 5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) present clear evidence for the existence of totally selfless experiential states. Their claim is undermined, we argue, by the fact that they operate with overinflated notions of 'self' and 'self-consciousness,' meaning that more minimal forms are available and arguably still present in 5-MeO-DMT experiences. We then perform a qualitative thematic analysis of 411 5-MeO-DMT trip reports. Pointing to the ambiguous language of the trip reports, the self-admitted inadequacy of the descriptions and the affective dimension of the reported experiences, we argue that claims concerning total selflessness are unwarranted and instead offer an alternative interpretation: extreme ego-dissolution during 5-MeO-DMT experiences involves a radically minimal form of self-consciousness, one in which the identity of the subject is experienced as unfamiliar and underdetermined. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'From being to identity: analysis and synthesis of the self'.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ego dissolution, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarifying and measuring the characteristics of experiences that involve a loss of self or a dissolution of its boundaries. Adults who reported an experience involving dissolution of self-boundaries or loss of... | 2024 | Cross-sectional survey with confirmatory factor analysis and qualitative thematic analysis | n = 386 |
| Health Benefits and Positive Acute Effects of Psilocybin Consumption: A Quantitative Textual Analysis of User Self-Reported Data Public online self-reports of psilocybin consumption | 2023 | Qualitative study | n = 846 |
| How Deliberate Metaphors Enable New Ways of Conceiving the Self After Psilocybin-Induced Ego Dissolution Experiences User-generated psilocybin reports | 2026 | Qualitative study |