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Ryan Andrew Shallcross

Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

2 papers in the library · 7 citations · publishing 2025-2026

Papers

Naturalistic Psychedelic Use and Psychotic Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study of Individuals with a Personal or Family History of Psychotic or Bipolar Disorders.

Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.) June 1, 2025 Haley Maria Dourron, Melissa Bradley, Otto Simonsson et al. 7 citations

Greater lifetime psychedelic use was not associated with psychotic symptoms in a cross-sectional survey of 548 adults, even among those with a personal or family history of psychotic or bipolar disorders. In unadjusted analyses, more psychedelic use was linked to less referential thinking, but this association disappeared after adjusting for covariates. A personal history of psychotic disorders was tied to moderately greater magical ideation, referential thinking, and auditory hallucinations, while family history of psychotic disorders related to slightly greater negative symptoms. Notably, among individuals with a personal history of psychotic disorder, auditory hallucinations were less severe as psychedelic use increased, with no such relationship in those without that history. Naturalistic psychedelic use may not heighten psychosis risks.

Prevalence, types, and demographic characteristics associated with major life changes following psychedelic use

Scientific Reports January 28, 2026 Nicholas A. Carlisle, Otto Simonsson, Sarah Maccarthy et al.

About one in five people who have used psychedelics report at least one major life change they attribute to the experience. Common changes involve relationships (6.9%), diet and exercise (6.2%), quitting alcohol, tobacco, or other substances (5.5%), and religious beliefs (5.5%). In a larger, more diverse sample, higher religiosity, younger age, and greater lifetime psychedelic use were strongly associated with reporting such changes. The findings suggest that major life changes after psychedelic use are not rare and may vary by demographic factors, but more longitudinal research is needed to understand their persistence, valence, and health impact.