From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics Increase Nature Relatedness in a State-Mediated and Context-Dependent Manner

A prospective survey study (n=654) established a (weak to moderate) causal link between the use of psychedelics and nature-relatedness. This was mediated by the extent of ego-death and perceived relatedness to nature during the psychedelic experience. This paper argues that psychedelics may bring us closer to nature and that this might be a possible positive outcome that restores mental health, or at least is correlated with this.

Abstract of From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics Increase Nature Relatedness in a State-Mediated and Context-Dependent Manner

“Background: There appears to be a growing disconnection between humans and their natural environments which has been linked to poor mental health and ecological destruction. Previous research suggests that individual levels of nature relatedness can be increased through the use of classical psychedelic compounds, although a causal link between psychedelic use and nature relatedness has not yet been established.

Methods: Using correlations and generalized linear mixed regression modelling, we investigated the association between psychedelic use and nature relatedness in a prospective online study. Individuals planning to use a psychedelic received questionnaires 1 week before (N = 654), plus one day, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 years after a psychedelic experience.

Results: The frequency of lifetime psychedelic use was positively correlated with nature relatedness at baseline. Nature relatedness was significantly increased 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 years after the psychedelic experience. This increase was positively correlated with concomitant increases in psychological well-being and was dependent on the extent of ego-dissolution and the perceived influence of natural surroundings during the acute psychedelic state.

Conclusions: The here presented evidence for a context- and state-dependent causal effect of psychedelic use on nature relatedness bears relevance for psychedelic treatment models in mental health and, in the face of the current ecological crisis, planetary health.”

Authors: Hannes Kettner, Sam Gandy, Eline C. H. M. Haijen & Robin L. Carhart-Harris

Notes on From Egoism to Ecoism

This work builds further on the very small experimental (open-label) study in 2018 by Lyons and Carhart-Harris. Although the current study was less controlled, it did have a more ‘normal’ population and it was prospective (not only asking about nature-relatedness after the fact).

One common denominator between this paper and others is the lack of connection that people with mental disorders feel. If anything, psychedelics increase connectedness. And in this specific case it was found to increase this in relation to nature.

Nature relatedness is defined as follows “…as one’s level of self-identification and subjective sense of connectedness with nature. It is analogous to the concept of “biophilia”, which is defined as “the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” “

Do note the questions of the nature relatedness scale (NR-6 – short version used, based on the NR-13).

1. “My ideal vacation spot would be a remote, wilderness area
2. I always think about how my actions affect the environment
3. My connection to nature and the environment is a part of my spirituality
4. I take notice of wildlife wherever I am
5. My relationship to nature is an important part of who I am
6. I feel very connected to all living things and the earth”

The change for participants in nature relatedness was from 4.01 to 4.13 (at 2 and 4 weeks post). Although this is a significant result, it’s good to keep in mind that the effect size was weak to moderate (r = 0.250 to 0.331 at 4 and 2 weeks post).

In the discussion the authors state the following: “The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychedelic use and nature relatedness using online surveys and a prospective cohort design. Our primary hypothesis of increased nature relatedness following a psychedelic experience was confirmed, providing the first empirical evidence for a causative role of psychedelic use in the enhancement of nature relatedness in a large sample of healthy participants.“

Further on in the discussion, it’s interesting to read that openness to experience may be an underlying explanation of the slightly higher base-scores of the participants in the study (who hadn’t used psychedelics before) and the general population (4.01 vs 3.00-3.14 for the general population). And that of the even higher score on nature relatedness of people who had used psychedelics before (>100x lifetime use, 4.45).

There were several limitations to the study, especially the last may skew the results more than could be reasonably assumed “Most significantly, the recruitment criterion of intent to take a psychedelic substance led to a positive sample bias towards psychedelic use and likely also greater openness towards new experiences in general. In addition, the sample was highly educated and predominantly male, further impairing the generalisability of the present findings. As discussed above, attrition bias may have skewed the sample at later time points into a more positive direction, especially so for the two-year follow-up (n=64).”

Summary of Notes on From Egoism to Ecoism

Humans are becoming more disconnected from the natural world, and this is linked to poor mental health and ecological neglect and destruction. Identifying an effective way of enhancing nature connectedness would potentially be of great benefit to human well-being and the environment at large.

Psychedelics

Mental illnesses such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar personality disorder, and eating disorders have been linked to feelings of psychological or social disconnection. Psychedelics can increase the sense of connectedness. Classical psychedelics are compounds that act on the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor and have profound effects on human consciousness. They are non-addictive, have low physiological toxicity and have been used for celebration, healing and divination purposes for centuries. Psychedelic drug use was widespread in the 1960s, and coincided with the rapid growth and expansion of the environmental movement. Several recent studies have observed that psychedelics can increase people’s feelings of nature connectedness.

Effects of Nature Relatedness on Psychological Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behaviour