The Psychological Effects of the Administration of Psychedelics on the Minds of Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review
Sumayyah Idrees, Ayesha Batool, Sehrish Ahsan, J. U. Rehman
Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences March 13, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.52131/pjhss.2024.v12i1.2068 via OpenAlex
Summary
The systematic review integrates findings from the last three years on the effects of classical psychedelics in healthy individuals. It identifies three main themes: 'Modes of Communication' where participants sensed other entities, 'Mystical-type Experiences' involving feelings of awe, and 'Inter-relational Purposes of Entities' describing relationships with imagined characters. Each theme includes various sub-themes that elaborate on participants' experiences, contributing to understanding both short and long-term effects of psychedelics.
Study at a glance
| Design | systematic review |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | healthy individuals experiencing classical psychedelics |
| Key finding | Three main themes were identified regarding the phenomenological effects of classical psychedelics on healthy individuals. |
Abstract
The systematic review aims to integrate the findings of the past 3 years of literature on the phenomenological effects of classical psychedelics on healthy individuals. To ensure a strategic method to review the literature was adopted, guidelines given by Sumaya Laher & Tasneem Hassem were opted for (Laher & Hassem, 2020). For the search strategy, the Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research (SPIDER) method was used to construe keywords for searching relevant literature in PubMed, and Google Scholar. Analysis of the final 4 papers was conducted using the thematic synthesis technique (Thomas & Harden, 2008) and a total of 3 main themes were discovered. The first main theme was “Modes of Communication” in which the participants sensed the presence of other entities. This theme is also further divided into three sub-themes called “Intuitive or Telepathic”, “Explicit or Verbal” and “Kinesthetic”. The second major theme is called the “Mystical-type Experiences” in which the participants experienced amazement and were left in complete awe of the world. This theme further divides into two sub-themes “Euphoria” and “Unpleasant Experiences”. The next main theme was “Inter-relational Purposes of Entities”. This theme encompasses the relationship between participants and the psychedelic-induced characters of their imagination divided into four sub-themes in this theme which are named “Friendly and Nurturing”, “Presenting”, “Jestful and Manipulating” and “Formidable and Intimidating.” The study will put the short and long-term effects of these drugs into the consideration of the research community.