Spiritual Well-Being Among Users and Non-Users of Psychedelics: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Journal of psychoactive drugs – January 01, 2025
Source: PubMed
Summary
People who never use psychedelics and those who use them frequently both report higher levels of spiritual well-being compared to occasional users. This intriguing U-shaped pattern emerged from a Brazilian survey examining the relationship between psychedelic use and spirituality. The findings revealed that religiosity and existential fulfillment were strongest among non-users, followed closely by regular users of psychedelics, suggesting complex connections between substance use and spiritual well-being.
Abstract
This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) in a Brazilian sample. We analyzed spiritual well-being, defined as existential well-being (EWB) and religious well-being (RWB), among individuals with varying religious and spiritual experiences, both users and non-users of psychedelics. The online cross-sectional survey was conducted in Brazil, from April to June 2022. The psychometric analyses demonstrated reliability and validity based on the internal structure and the relationship with satisfactory external variables concerning the RWB and EWB factors of the SWBS. Validity evidence was shown for both factors (RWB, EWB) with adequate reliability ratings. However, the RWB factor, which was entirely replicated, demonstrated the best group differentiation and internal consistency. Although both factors showed validity, the RWB factor exhibited superior psychometric indices for validity, group discrimination, and reliability. Regarding psychedelics, the association with RWB and EWB demonstrates a U-shaped pattern, as participants who never use these substances typically exhibit higher RWB and EWB indices, succeeded by frequent users. This finding underscores the need for additional studies to further explore the intricate interplay between psychedelics and spiritual well-being.