Longitudinal associations between psychedelic use and meditation practices in the United States and the United Kingdom
Psychological Medicine – October 20, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Compassion meditation may lessen challenging psychedelic experiences, a key insight for psychological intervention. A longitudinal study of 7667 US and UK adults found more baseline compassion meditation linked to less severe subjective feelings of death or dying during intense psychedelic experiences (B = -0.29). Among 100 individuals (1.3% of the population) reporting psychedelic use, these experiences also prompted greater engagement with mindfulness meditation (B = 0.40). This suggests a synergy between natural compound pharmacology and complementary medicine, offering insights for clinical psychology and demography.
Abstract
Abstract Background Previous research has proposed that there may be potential synergies between psychedelic and meditation interventions, but there are still knowledge gaps that merit further investigation. Methods Using a longitudinal observational research design with samples representative of the US and UK adult population with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity ( N = 9732), we investigated potential associations between self-reported psychedelic use and meditation practice. Results The follow-up survey was completed by 7667 respondents (79% retention rate), with 100 respondents reporting psychedelic use during the 2-month study period (1.3% of follow-up respondents). In covariate-adjusted regression models, psychedelic use during the study period was associated with greater increases in the number of days of mindfulness meditation practice in the past week ( B = 0.40, p = 0.004). Among those who reported psychedelic use during the study period, covariate-adjusted regression models revealed that the subjective experience of insight during respondents' most intense psychedelic experience in that period was also associated with greater increases in the number of days of mindfulness and loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice in the past week ( B = 0.42, p = 0.021; B = 0.38, p = 0.017). Notably, more days of loving-kindness or compassion meditation practice in the past week at baseline was associated with less severe subjective feelings of death or dying during respondents' most intense psychedelic experience in the study period ( B = −0.29, p = 0.037). Conclusions Psychedelic use might lead to greater engagement with meditation practices such as mindfulness meditation, while meditation practices such as loving-kindness or compassion medication might buffer against certain challenging experiences associated with psychedelic use.