Effects of psychedelic use on authoritarian attitudes revisited.

Summary

Psychedelic use, including psilocybin, does not appear to significantly change authoritarian attitudes according to findings from three studies. Study 1 was observational, Study 2 involved healthy volunteers receiving psilocybin, and Study 3 was a randomized trial comparing psilocybin with escitalopram in patients with depression. None of the studies showed compelling evidence that psychedelics influence authoritarian attitudes, suggesting the need for larger and more diverse future research.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Previous research suggests that psychedelics may, under certain conditions, decrease authoritarian attitudes, but larger and more rigorously designed studies are needed to confirm these findings. We aimed to examine the effects of psychedelic use on authoritarian attitudes. Using data from three separate studies with different designs and populations, we investigated the relationship between psychedelic use and authoritarian attitudes. Study 1 was a naturalistic observational study with participants who planned to use psychedelics at their own initiative, Study 2 was a single-arm study with healthy volunteers who received psilocybin, and Study 3 was a randomized, controlled trial with patients diagnosed with depression who received psilocybin or escitalopram. Across the three studies, results showed no significant changes in authoritarian attitudes after psychedelic use. Contrary to previous research, the latest evidence is not compelling that psychedelic use influences authoritarian attitudes in a reliable direction. Future research should recruit larger and more diverse samples, collect additional context-related data, and also investigate political outcomes other than authoritarian attitudes.

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