Reactivations after 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine use in naturalistic settings: An initial exploratory analysis of the phenomenon’s predictors and its emotional valence
Frontiers in Psychiatry – November 29, 2022
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A compelling finding in Psychedelics and Drug Studies reveals that "reactivations"—a phenomenon akin to flashbacks from 5-MeO-DMT—are often positive. Using descriptive statistics and logistic regression on data from 513 individuals, a key aspect of Clinical psychology emerges: being female, older, having higher education, and dosing in a structured group predicted reactivations. Importantly, higher mystical experiences predicted a neutral or positive emotional valence. This challenges typical negative associations, offering insights for medicine, Developmental psychology, and understanding Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior and Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis.
Abstract
Background The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT has shown clinical potential due to its short duration and ability to induce mystical experiences. However, a phenomenon known as “reactivations” (similar to “flashbacks”) is a poorly understood and frequently reported phenomenon which appears associated with 5-MeO-DMT use and warranted further investigation. Aims This study examined whether differences in age, gender, education, lifetime use, use location, and preparation strategies predict reactivations (primary outcome). Additionally, we explored how reactivations were perceived by survey respondents and whether demographic data predicted emotional valence (secondary outcome) of reported reactivations. Materials and methods This study used secondary quantitative data from a survey assessing epidemiological and behavioral associations of 5-MeO-DMT use in non-clinical settings ( N = 513). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t -tests, and logistic regressions were utilized to explore aims. Results Being female, older at the time of first 5-MeO-DMT dose, having higher educational attainment, and dosing in a structured group setting were associated with increased odds of reporting a reactivation event. Higher mystical experience scores, greater personal wellbeing and having had a non-dual awareness experience that was not substance-induced were associated with higher likelihood of reporting a neutral or positive emotional valence of a reactivation event. Conclusion These findings suggest that reactivation phenomena, in this particular sample may most often represent a neutral or positive byproduct of the acute 5-MeO-DMT experience. More information is needed to best identify individuals most likely to experience a reactivation as a negative event to prevent such potential challenging outcomes.