Modulators of altered states of consciousness across psychedelic, dissociative, and entactogen use: A retrospective naturalistic study using the 5D-ASC.
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry – January 23, 2026
Source: PubMed
Summary
The intensity of a psychedelic experience, linked to its clinical benefits, is shaped by several factors. An online survey of 804 individuals, using the Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire, revealed that intentions like spiritual or therapeutic use, rather than recreational, predict stronger consciousness alteration. Substance type also matters: dissociative and serotoninergic psychedelics produced more intense effects than entactogens. Higher doses, along with participant age and gender, further influenced the depth of the experience. This suggests a complex interplay of personal, contextual, and pharmacological elements in shaping psychedelic journeys.
Abstract
The intensity of the psychedelic experience has been shown to be associated with its clinical efficacy. This study aims to investigate the factors that may influence the level of altered consciousness during naturalistic psychedelic use, which serves as a proxy for the intensity of the psychedelic experience. A retrospective online survey was conducted on individuals who reported a psychedelic experience. Demographic data, intensity of the psychedelic experience as assessed by the Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire (5D-ASC and its 11 subscales) and characteristics of the psychedelic experience were documented. A total of 804 participants were included in this study. Significant predictors of 5D-ASC scores following a psychedelic experience included the intended purpose of the experience (with spiritual/religious, therapeutic, and self-exploratory intentions exerting a greater influence than recreational intentions); the type of substance (with dissociative and serotonergic psychedelics associated with stronger effects than entactogens); the estimated dose (with moderate, high, and very high doses yielding greater effects relative to very low doses); as well as participants' age at the time of the experience and their gender. Our findings indicate that the intensity of psychedelic experiences is influenced by a multifaceted interplay of pharmacological, individual, and contextual factors. The close correspondence between determinants of mystical experiences and altered states of consciousness suggests that experiential intensity may reflect a shared underlying neurobiological sensitivity, rather than being specific to a given phenomenological category.