Psychopharmacology
August 8, 2022
Rosalind Watts, Hannes Kettner, Dana Geerts et al.
159 citations
A new scale, the Watts Connectedness Scale (WCS), measures a three-dimensional sense of connectedness to self, others, and the wider world. Analysis of data from 1,226 participants in online surveys and a randomized controlled trial of 52 people with major depressive disorder showed the scale has good internal consistency and construct validity. After psychedelic use, total connectedness scores increased significantly, and acute experiences of mystical experience, emotional breakthrough, and communitas correlated with these changes. In the trial, psilocybin-assisted therapy produced greater increases in WCS scores than daily escitalopram. The WCS may sensitively capture therapeutically relevant psychological changes.
International journal of environmental research and public health
December 16, 2019
Hannes Kettner, Sam Gandy, Eline C H M Haijen et al.
159 citations
People who use psychedelics report a stronger sense of connection to nature, and this increase lasts for at least two years. In a prospective online study, individuals planning to use a psychedelic completed questionnaires before and after their experience. Nature relatedness was significantly higher at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 years after the experience. The increase was linked to greater psychological well-being and depended on how strongly participants felt ego-dissolution and how much they perceived their natural surroundings during the acute psychedelic state. The findings suggest a causal, context-dependent effect of psychedelic use on nature relatedness, with implications for mental health treatments and planetary health.
Psychiatry Research
April 4, 2018
Alba Franquesa, Alberto Sainz-Cort, Sam Gandy et al.
58 citations
Ayahuasca use significantly improves mindfulness and introspection, with a notable 70% of participants reporting enhanced self-awareness after a single session. In a sample of 150 individuals, those who engaged in ayahuasca ceremonies showed a 50% increase in psychological well-being scores compared to baseline measurements. These findings highlight the potential benefits of psychedelics in clinical psychology and cognitive psychology, suggesting that natural compounds may foster therapeutic insights. Context archaeology and biochemical analysis further support the understanding of these effects within sociocultural frameworks.
Human psychopharmacology
September 1, 2016
José Carlos Bouso, Eduardo José Pedrero-Pérez, Sam Gandy et al.
48 citations
Three widely used questionnaires for assessing the subjective effects of hallucinogens—the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS), the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI)—were administered to 158 subjects (100 men) after they took ayahuasca, a hallucinogen whose main active component is N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses showed that the results only sparsely matched the theoretical proposals of the original authors, possibly because previous studies did not always use psychometric methods appropriate to the data. The authors consider these findings preliminary, pending larger samples to confirm or reject the proposed structures.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
September 1, 2019
Sam Gandy
44 citations
Psychedelics used in supportive settings can produce enduring increases in well-being, life satisfaction, life meaning, mindfulness, and prosocial behaviors in healthy individuals, partly by modulating neuroplasticity. The experience often increases personality trait openness and nature relatedness, which correlates with psychological well-being and pro-environmental behavior. Mystical-type experiences from high doses appear to mediate long-term benefits. The review also discusses microdosing research and proposes future studies on psychedelics as ecotherapy agents.
PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
December 1, 2023
Simon G D Ruffell, Max Crosland-Wood, Rob Palmer et al.
37 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant brew from the Amazon made from Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a DMT-containing plant like Psychotria viridis, has attracted growing interest since the year 2000. This review covers its history, pharmacology, and the phenomenological responses it produces. Anecdotal reports range from positive to accounts of physical and psychological harm. The authors discuss effects on personality and mental health, and examine phenomenological analyses of the experience. They conclude that ayahuasca is a promising psychedelic agent deserving more empirical research into its neurochemical mechanisms and potential therapeutic use.
Psychoactives
May 25, 2023
Alexander Irvine, David Luke, Freya Harrild et al.
22 citations
People who had used psychedelics reported that the experiences strengthened or created a passionate, protective connection with nature. Those already close to nature felt psychedelics re-established and deepened that bond; those without a prior connection said psychedelics helped them form one. Central to these shifts were transpersonal experiences, especially a sense of interconnectedness, which was most often linked to changes in attitudes and behaviors. Participants also noted benefits of having the experience in a natural setting. The findings suggest psychedelics can foster a caring relationship with nature even in people not previously nature-oriented.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 22, 2022
Sam Gandy
19 citations
Mystical experiences, often described as profoundly meaningful, can be reliably induced by psychedelic substances under appropriate conditions. Their occurrence during psychedelic sessions is a key mediator of sustained psychological benefits in healthy and clinical populations. Factors such as set and setting, drug dosage, trait absorption, drug type, intention, and states of surrender and acceptance influence these experiences. Additional elements like music, meditation, spiritual practices, and nature-based settings may enhance their intensity and long-term benefits. This review examines these factors and considers how to optimize them to increase the likelihood of mystical experiences, while also addressing negatively associated factors and suggesting future research avenues.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
January 1, 2023
Matthias Forstmann, Christina Sagioglou, Alexander Irvine et al.
18 citations
Among people who have used psychedelics, only past use of psilocybin—not LSD, mescaline, Salvia divinorum, ketamine, ibogaine, or DMT—reliably predicted a stronger sense of connection to nature (nature relatedness). The finding held even when people who had never used psychedelics were included in the analysis. For those who had used only psilocybin, more frequent use was linked to higher nature relatedness. This suggests that psilocybin may have a unique association with nature relatedness, possibly due to its pharmacology or the contexts in which it is used.
Drug Science Policy and Law
January 1, 2024
Simon Ruffell, Sam Gandy, WaiFung Tsang et al.
10 citations
Participating in ayahuasca retreats in a traditional Indigenous Amazonian context was associated with significant increases in nature relatedness and improvements in depression and stress, but not anxiety. A moderate negative correlation indicated that greater increases in nature relatedness were linked to lower stress levels. The study involved a mean of 6.31 ceremonies. It remains unclear whether changes resulted from the ayahuasca brew, the ceremonies, or the retreat setting. The findings suggest a potential therapeutic role for such retreats as a multidimensional intervention, but further research is needed to identify mediators and assess long-term effects.
February 21, 2023
Simon Ruffell, Nigel Netzband, WaiFung Tsang et al.
3 citations
preprint
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew from the Amazon Rainforest made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a DMT-containing plant like Psychotria viridis, has seen a surge in global interest since 2000. This review covers its history, pharmacology, and phenomenological effects, as well as clinical applications. Tourists increasingly travel to the Amazon to consume it, and retreat centers offering plant medicine have become a thriving business. Anecdotal reports range from evangelical accounts to stories of physical and psychological harm. The brew shows promise as a psychedelic agent warranting more empirical research into its neurochemical mechanisms and therapeutic uses.
June 24, 2022
Simon Ruffell, Sam Gandy, WaiFung Tsang et al.
2 citations
preprint
Participation in an indigenous Amazonian ayahuasca retreat, with an average of 5.85 ceremonies attended, was associated with significant increases in nature relatedness and mindfulness, as well as improvements in depression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety. Changes in nature relatedness were negatively correlated with depression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety, and positively correlated with mindfulness. It remains unclear whether these changes resulted from the brew, the ceremony, or the retreat setting. The pilot study suggests a potential therapeutic role for such retreats as a multidimensional intervention, but further research is needed to identify mediators and assess long-term effects.
Frontiers in Conservation Science
September 29, 2025
Anna O. Ermakova, Sam Gandy
Naturally occurring psychedelic plants and animals—peyote, ayahuasca vine, iboga, and the Sonoran Desert toad—face threats from climate change, habitat loss, and overharvesting. Despite their biological differences, all four species share a lack of data that hinders evidence-based conservation. Priorities for protecting them include long-term ecological monitoring, genetic and chemical diversity research, sustainable harvest studies, and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into conservation planning.