Recreational psychedelic use can either improve or harm mental health depending on how and why they are used. A survey of 511 psychedelic users found that frequent use and using the substances to cope with negative emotions predicted worse mental health. In contrast, using psychedelics in a group setting, with intentions of self-expansion, and engaging in post-use integration predicted better mental health. The findings underscore the importance of set and setting—the user's mindset and environment—in determining outcomes, suggesting that recreational use is not inherently beneficial or harmful but depends on contextual factors.
Among 684 international online participants, classic psychedelics were the most common substances used for spiritual or entheogenic purposes. Entheogenic classic psychedelic users scored higher on measures of spiritual seeking, self-transcendence, psychological well-being, and psychospiritual development compared to both non-entheogenic users and non-users. The findings suggest entheogenic spirituality can be understood as a practice of spiritual seeking or implicit mysticism—a quest for self-transcendence and personal growth.