Frontiers in Psychiatry
December 19, 2023
Jonathan David, José Carlos Bouso, Maja Kohek et al.
14 citations
More than half of people who participate in ayahuasca ceremonies report having a subjective sense of death during the experience, termed Ayahuasca-induced Personal Death (APD). These experiences are typically strong and transformative, associated with an increased sense of transcending death and greater certainty that consciousness continues after death. APDs are not linked to demographics, personality, or psychopathology, but are associated with greater environmental concern, improved ability to cope with life problems, and a heightened sense of life fulfillment. The findings suggest these death experiences may be a mechanism for psychedelics' long-term positive effects.
Harm reduction journal
August 9, 2023
Hagit Bonny-Noach, Barak Shapira, Pinchas Baumol et al.
9 citations
Among 1,206 Israeli nature rave party attendees surveyed online, the most common illicit substances used in the past year were cannabis (62.2%), LSD (41.4%), MDMA (31.7%), mushrooms/psilocybin (23.9%), ketamine (19.6%), and cocaine (17.2%). A weak but significant association appeared between harm reduction behaviors and positive attitudes toward harm reduction interventions (r = .26) and drug testing kits (r = .33). While positive harm reduction attitudes were higher, implementing corresponding behaviors proved more difficult. Stronger associations with high harm reduction behaviors included positive attitudes toward drug testing kits (odds ratio 4.53) and harm reduction interventions (odds ratio 4.06). Formal harm reduction policies and prevention programs are needed.
Scientific Reports
November 27, 2025
Guy Simon, Nir Tadmor, Michael Skragge et al.
6 citations
A mixed-methods investigation of 608 individuals who experienced post-psychedelic difficulties found that 41.8% linked these difficulties to early trauma. Those reporting trauma-related difficulties were older, more often female, more likely to have a prior mental-illness diagnosis, and more likely to use psychedelics in guided settings. They reported more emotional but fewer perceptual difficulties. Interviews with 18 participants revealed four themes: direct trauma re-experiencing (39%, including some with no prior memory), symbolic/somatic re-embodiment (22%), fragmentation and confusion (50%), and varied post-experience trajectories (50% positive integration, 28% mixed, 22% re-traumatization). Uncertainty about memory veridicality caused ongoing distress. The work underscores the need for trauma-informed psychedelic practices.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
January 15, 2025
Nir Tadmor, Demian Halperin, Guy Simon
6 citations
Mental health professionals who have personally taken psychedelics may gain enduring positive changes that benefit their clinical work. Interviews with eight such clinicians revealed a multi-faceted model of transformation covering interpersonal and emotional growth, changed relationships with death and nature, and deepened concepts of love, meaning, and spirituality. These personal shifts also enhanced their therapeutic skills. The findings suggest that clinicians involved in psychedelic integration should themselves have undergone altered states of consciousness, not only for empathy but because of intrinsic positive effects on their human and professional capacities.
The International journal on drug policy
January 1, 2026
Guy Simon, Nir Tadmor, Demian Halperin
2 citations
Psychedelics can produce lasting changes in attitudes and behavior, with outcomes shaped by both the drug and the context of use ('set and setting'). As these substances move from traditional settings into clinical environments, a tension arises between authenticity and standardization. Drawing on Walter Benjamin's concept of 'aura,' this article examines what may be lost or gained when psychedelic experiences are reproduced in institutional settings. It explores how set and setting contribute to authenticity, analyzes the implications of medicalization, and considers the roles of ritual and commodification. The authors propose ways to integrate traditional context with clinical approaches to preserve psychedelics' transformative potential.
Research Square
August 21, 2025
Guy Simon, Nir Tadmor, Michael Skragge et al.
2 citations
A mixed-methods study of 608 individuals who experienced lasting psychological difficulties after using psychedelics found that 41.8% linked those difficulties to early childhood trauma. Those with trauma links were older, more often female, more likely to have a prior mental-illness diagnosis, and more likely to use psychedelics in guided settings. They reported more emotional but fewer perceptual difficulties. Interviews with 18 participants revealed four themes: direct trauma re-experiencing (39%, some with no prior memory), symbolic/somatic re-embodiment (22%), fragmentation and confusion (50%), and varied outcomes: predominantly positive integration (50%), mixed effects (28%), or re-traumatization (22%). Uncertainty about memory accuracy contributed to ongoing distress. The findings underscore the need for trauma-informed approaches in psychedelic use.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
May 1, 2026
Guy Simon, Maya Gal-Birman, Nir Tadmor et al.
In the October 7, 2023, attack at the Nova rave, 45 survivors were interviewed using a mixed-methods phenomenological design. Participants used classic psychedelics (24), empathogens (19), or ketamine (2). A dissociative phenomenon termed "adaptive psychedelic dissociation" emerged, combining emotional detachment, derealization, depersonalization, automatic behaviors, and preserved functionality. Participants' awareness of their substance use created an "epistemic container" that helped contain traumatic input in real time but complicated later meaning-making. Psychedelic effects appeared suppressed during acute trauma and resurged afterward. Substance use had a predominantly positive impact on immediate survival (75%-79%) and emotional coping (83%-84%), but mixed outcomes in aftermath processing (42%-53% positive, 25%-26% negative). This paradox suggests acute adaptive benefits with integration challenges.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2025
Jonathan David, José Carlos Bouso, Maja Kohek et al.
correction
A correction was issued for a published article: the average number of ayahuasca uses in the ayahuasca group was revised from 69.4 to 55.7 (standard deviation 82.1). Participants had used ayahuasca 5.2 times more than psilocybin, 4.6 times more than mescaline, and 5.6 times more than LSD. The authors state the error does not alter the scientific conclusions.