User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study
Journal of Substance Use – July 30, 2010
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Over 81% of hallucinogen users reported a profound spiritual experience, with over 90% linking classic psychedelics like Psilocybin and Lysergic acid diethylamide to accessing the unconscious mind. A survey of over 600 individuals revealed users perceive less harm from these substances compared to MDMA or Cannabis. Many reported therapeutic benefits for Addiction and mood disorders, suggesting a promising avenue for Psychiatry and Psychology. This highlights the potential for Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, suggesting deeper inquiry in Psychedelics and Drug Studies, extending beyond Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Abstract
This study used a web-based questionnaire to investigate user perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use. Over 600 forms were submitted. Users were asked to comment on the acute and prolonged effects of different drugs and to provide more specific information on how particular drugs have harmed and/or helped them. Subjects reported relatively less harm associated with the classic hallucinogens, LSD and psilocybin, than other drugs specifically focused on in the questionnaire (MDMA, cannabis, ketamine and alcohol). A wide-range of benefits was reported, including: help with mood disorders, addictions and migraine as well as more general long-term improvements in wellbeing. Symptoms of hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder were reported by a number of subjects and these were most closely associated with use of LSD; however, few users regarded these effects as troubling. Eighty-one per cent of users reported having had a 'spiritual experience' on a hallucinogenic drug and over 90% considered 'access to the unconscious mind' to be a specific property of the classic hallucinogens. With caution, these findings support recent calls for a systematic investigation of the therapeutic potential of the classic hallucinogens and highlight the scope for empirical investigations of spiritual and psychodynamic phenomena.