This survey study of 1,200 visitors of festivals found that the use of psychedelics was associated with increased positive mood through the experience of personal transformation and feelings of connectedness to others. The large group size and naturalistic setting (versus lab settings) make this a valuable paper. The shorter ago the psychedelic experience, the stronger the positive effects.
Abstract of Transformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic use in naturalistic settings
“Past research suggests that use of psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin may have positive effects on mood and feelings of social connectedness. These psychological effects are thought to be highly sensitive to context, but robust and direct evidence for them in a naturalistic setting is scarce. In a series of field studies involving over 1,200 participants across six multiday mass gatherings in the United States and the United Kingdom, we investigated the effects of psychedelic substance use on transformative experience, social connectedness, and positive mood. This approach allowed us to test preregistered hypotheses with high ecological validity and statistical precision. Controlling for a host of demographic variables and the use of other psychoactive substances, we found that psychedelic substance use was significantly associated with positive mood—an effect sequentially mediated by self-reported transformative experience and increased social connectedness. These effects were particularly pronounced for those who had taken psychedelic substances within the last 24 h (compared to the last week). Overall, this research provides robust evidence for positive affective and social consequences of psychedelic substance use in naturalistic settings.“
Authors: Matthias Forstmann, Daniel A. Yudkin, Annayah M. B. Prosser, S. Megan Heller & Molly J. Crockett
Notes on Transformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic use in naturalistic settings
The naturalistic (festival vs clinical lab) with a relatively normal (but young, outgoing) population provides good evidence for the positive effects of psychedelics for a broader audience than just those with severe mental health issues.
“For millennia, naturally occurring psychedelic substances have been used by indigenous cultures in medicinal or spiritual contexts. Recent scientific investigations hint at the potential for these substances in the treatment of affective disorders, yet scientific inquiries into their psychological effects remain scarce. Here we present findings from a large field study of mood-related effects of recent psychedelic substance use in naturalistic settings. We found that recent use of psychedelics was associated with increased positive mood through experience of personal transformation and feelings of connectedness to others. Our findings validate recent reports of mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic substances in laboratory settings and suggest that these effects manifest at least in part through changes in the experience of social relationships.”
“Overall, we found that very recent use of psychedelic substances, as compared to moderately recent use in the week prior, was primarily responsible for predicting scores on the outcome variables for which we found an association with general recent psychedelic substance use. That is, self-reported TEs (with and without controlling for expectations and desires), ETEs, and psychological well-being were all significantly predicted by use of psychedelic substances in the last 24 h, yet not uniquely predicted by use of psychedelic substances in the week prior.”
Summary of Transformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic use in naturalistic settings
Research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances has come into renewed focus after several decades of relatively scant attention. These substances include psilocybin, LSD, and mescaline, and may have a variety of decidedly positive effects when used in therapeutic settings.
Researchers have begun investigating the acute and chronic effects of psychedelic substances on healthy individuals, and have found that past psychedelic substance use positively predicts mental well-being and proenvironmental behavior, while negatively predicting suicidality.
Find this paper
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1918477117
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Cite this paper (APA)
Forstmann, M., Yudkin, D. A., Prosser, A. M., Heller, S. M., & Crockett, M. J. (2020). Transformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic use in naturalistic settings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(5), 2338-2346.