Speech markers of psychological change following a psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT retreat.
Joanna Kuc, Rosalind G McAlpine, Amelia Sellers, George Blackburne, Daniel R Lametti, Jeremy I Skipper
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) May 23, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1177/02698811261443690 via PubMed
Summary
5-MeO-DMT, a powerful psychedelic, leads to significant changes in language and vocal features. In a study of 29 participants who recorded daily voice journals before and after taking 12 mg of 5-MeO-DMT, results showed increased cognitive language, decreased social words, and changes in voice quality. Baseline speech patterns were linked to psychological outcomes such as emotional breakthroughs and overall well-being. This analysis highlights the potential of vocal journaling to track psychological transformations during psychedelic experiences.
Study at a glance
| Design | longitudinal analysis |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | participants who experienced a psychedelic retreat with 5-MeO-DMT |
| Key finding | Following 5-MeO-DMT, speech markers revealed increased cognitive language, decreased social words, and altered voice quality. |
Abstract
5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), a potent, short-acting psychedelic, induces profound shifts in cognition, affect, and self-awareness. Because language explicitly expresses these domains and voice implicitly conveys them, both may serve as potential 'biomarkers' of behavioural change. This study introduces a novel framework for analysing baseline language and vocal features, pre- to post-psychedelic changes, and assessing their potential to predict subjective experiences and psychological outcomes. Daily voice journals from 29 participants were collected via "RetreatBot" for 2 weeks before and after 5-MeO-DMT (1 × 12 mg). Transcripts were analysed using natural language processing (bag-of-words for vocabulary; transformer model for textual affect), and acoustic features (e.g. pitch, jitter, shimmer) were extracted to assess vocal dynamics. Following 5-MeO-DMT, speech markers revealed increased cognitive language, decreased social words, and altered voice quality (increased jitter/shimmer). Baseline speech patterns predicted psychedelic preparedness, emotional breakthrough, and post-experience well-being. This first longitudinal analysis of speech markers surrounding a psychedelic retreat reveals a shift from external focus to introspection. Speech markers predicted and tracked psychological transformation surrounding the 5-MeO-DMT retreat experience, establishing vocal journaling as a valuable framework for monitoring changes during the "preparation" and "integration" periods.