Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

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2 papers

Transformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic use in naturalistic settings

Matthias Forstmann, Daniel Alexander Yudkin, Annayah Miranda Beatrice Prosser, S. Megan Heller, Molly J. Crockett

Researchers studied more than 1,200 people at six multiday mass gatherings in the US and the UK. They found that psychedelic use was linked with better mood. That link appeared to work through people reporting a transformative experience and feeling more socially connected. The link was stronger when use had…

Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Comforting delusions? How to evaluate the plausibility of mystical-type insights in psychedelic experiences

Jussi Jylkkä
Philosophical Psychology Summary & key facts 2024 8 citations

The paper says that psychedelics can produce mystical-type beliefs, like the idea that reality is a loving consciousness. The author argues we should not call these beliefs delusional just because they clash with naturalism (the view that only natural stuff exists). Instead, the paper recommends “metaphysical agnosticism” — holding off…

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies Psychedelics and Drug Studies
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