Baseline Mood and “Relational Triad” Predict Acute Qualities of Psychedelic Experience
Joshua Lipson, Hannes Kettner, Robin Carhart-Harris, Lisa Miller
Behavioral Sciences February 23, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3390/bs16020310 via OpenAlex
Summary
Baseline mood and the relational triad of social connectedness, mindfulness, and spirituality can predict the quality of psychedelic experiences. Specifically, higher baseline depression and anxiety were linked to more challenging experiences, while better baseline wellbeing predicted more mystical experiences. Mindfulness and spirituality correlated positively with mystical experiences, whereas social connectedness and mindfulness were inversely related to challenging experiences. These results suggest that psychological factors influence how individuals experience psychedelics.
Study at a glance
| Design | longitudinal study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 654 |
| Population | individuals planning to take a psychedelic substance |
| Key finding | Baseline depression and anxiety predicted more challenging psychedelic experiences, while baseline wellbeing predicted more mystical experiences. |
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The quality and valence of psychedelic experiences are influenced by a range of psychological and contextual factors. This study examines baseline mood and the "relational triad"-comprising social connectedness, mindfulness, and spirituality-as potential predictors of the quality of naturalistic psychedelic experiences. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Predicting Responses to Psychedelics dataset, a longitudinal study tracking 654 individuals planning to take a psychedelic substance. Participants completed self-report measures at five time points, before and after ingestion. Baseline mood (depression, anxiety, and wellbeing) and relational triad factors were assessed at Timepoint 1, while acute psychedelic experience quality was measured at Timepoint 3 using validated scales (MEQ-30, CEQ, and ASC). RESULTS: Mystical and challenging experiences were weakly but positively correlated. Baseline depression and anxiety were predictive of more challenging experiences but not of mystical-type experiences, while baseline wellbeing predicted more mystical and less challenging experiences. Mindfulness and spirituality were positively associated with mystical experiences, while social connectedness and mindfulness were inversely associated with challenging experiences. CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend previous research by demonstrating that baseline psychological and relational factors shape the nature of psychedelic experiences.