Effect of Psilocybin on Empathy and Moral Decision-Making
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology – June 14, 2017
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, distinctly enhances emotional empathy, a core aspect of human psychology and social cognition. This finding, from Psychedelics and Drug Studies, suggests unique effects on cognitive processes. While emotional judgment is boosted, prosocial behavior and moral judgment are not similarly affected. Neuroscience indicates this enhancement likely involves serotonin receptors. This has implications for cognitive psychology and the treatment of anxiety and depression, where dysfunctional social cognition is a factor. Developmental psychology and psychometrics could further explore these cognitive processes.
Abstract
These findings provide first evidence that psilocybin has distinct effects on social cognition by enhancing emotional empathy but not moral behavior. Furthermore, together with previous findings, psilocybin appears to promote emotional empathy presumably via activation of serotonin 2A/1A receptors, suggesting that targeting serotonin 2A/1A receptors has implications for potential treatment of dysfunctional social cognition.