This study will investigate the effects of psilocybin dose and the frequency and intensity of support activities for spiritual practice (e.g., meditation) on a battery of attitudinal and behavioral outcome measures in 75 healthy volunteers who are interested in pursuing a program of spiritual practices with the intention applying spiritual insights and knowledge to everyday life.
Topic Healthy Subjects
Compound Placebo
Psilocybin
Country United States of America
Visit trial
Status
Completed
Results Published
Yes
Start date
08 January 2009
End date
05 January 2014
Chance of happening
100%
Phase
Phase I
Design
Blinded
Type
Interventional
Generation
First
Participants
75
Sex
All
Age
21- 70
Therapy
No
Trial Details
After screening and study enrollment, each volunteer will be assigned to one of five groups that vary in dose, frequency and intensity of support for spiritual practice, and number of psilocybin sessions (either 2 or 3 sessions). The psilocybin dose manipulation will be double-blind. Volunteers will be told that in each of sessions 1, 2, and 3, he/she could receive a very low, low, moderate, moderately high, or high dose of psilocybin. They will be told that each participant will receive 2 or more dose levels of psilocybin over the 2 or 3 sessions, and all participants will have one or more sessions in which he or she receives a moderately high or high dose of psilocybin. The duration of each volunteer's participation will be approximately 6 to 8 months. Each volunteer will receive several hours of preparation with the study guides in the month prior to the first psilocybin session; the first two sessions will be separated by one month. Various measures will be assessed before, during and immediately after sessions. A battery of longitudinal measures will be evaluated immediately after study enrollment, 3 weeks after the second psilocybin session, and 4 months after the second psilocybin session (6 months after study enrollment). For purposes of controlling expectancies through the 6 month follow-up evaluation, volunteers and guides will not know which volunteers or how many volunteers will be scheduled for a third session.NCT Number NCT00802282
Sponsors & Collaborators
Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University (Medicine) is host to the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, which is one of the leading research institutes into psychedelics. The center is led by Roland Griffiths and Matthew Johnson.
The CSP Fund of the San Francisco Foundation
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Fetzer Institute
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Papers
Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviorsThis double-blind, placebo-controlled study (n=75) found that two high dosages (20 & 30mg/70kg) of psilocybin in combination with spiritual practice showed significant positive (and enduring) effects over that of spiritual practice alone. This effect was even more pronounced on various measures when more support (high support) was given to those on the high (non-placebo) dose.
Measures Used
States of Consciousness QuestionnaireThe States of Consciousness Questionnaire (SOCQ) was developed to assess the occurrence features of the change in consciousness induced by psilocybin and includes the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ). The SOCQ consists of 100 items, 43 of which are from the MEQ.