People who have used psychedelics more times over their lifetime tend to show greater positive emotional reactions and lower negative emotional reactions, along with more reflection and internal self-awareness, and less rumination and concern about how others see them. These associations were explained largely by the intensity of past ego-dissolution and mystical experiences during psychedelic use. The findings suggest that regular naturalistic use of psychedelics is linked to adaptive, lasting changes in emotional reactivity and self-consciousness, which may underlie previously observed increases in well-being among users.
People who have used psychedelics more times over their lives report greater positive emotional reactions, less negative emotional reactivity, more reflection and internal self-awareness, and less rumination and concern about how others see them. These links are largely explained by how intense their past ego-dissolution and mystical experiences were. The findings suggest that regular naturalistic psychedelic use is associated with lasting, adaptive changes in emotional reactivity and self-consciousness, which may help explain why users often report higher well-being.