Psychology, Stockholm University
7 papers in the library · 237 citations · publishing 2004-2025
Neuroscience Letters December 10, 2004 Pehr Granqvist, Mats Fredrikson, Patrik Unge et al. 189 citations
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The Journal of psychology July 1, 2006 Pehr Granqvist, Marcus Larsson 31 citations
A double-blind experiment tested whether weak, complex magnetic fields evoke mystical experiences, finding no effect of field exposure on such experiences among 89 participants, though a minority reported spontaneous mystical experiences. Reanalyzing the data, higher religiousness predicted more mystical experiences with a religious quality, but not those without. The experimental setup, including pre-assessments of religiousness and sensory deprivation, may have acted as a prime that activated religious schemas in religious participants.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies March 5, 2024 Aaron D. Cherniak, Mario Mikulincer, Joel Gruneau Brulin et al. 7 citations
People who recall insecure early attachment with parents report more intense psychedelic experiences—mystical, challenging, emotional breakthrough, ego dissolution, and sensed presence—during their most memorable psychedelic session. However, current adult attachment styles (anxiety and avoidance) are unrelated to the intensity of those experiences. The subjective features of naturalistic psychedelic use do not typically weaken the connection between a perceived insecure attachment history and current attachment insecurity. The study surveyed 185 Jewish adults online who had used psychedelics.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies May 30, 2025 Esenia K. Cassidy, David Dupuis, Christopher Timmermann et al. 4 citations
Attachment patterns and psychedelic use jointly influence worldview transformations and enculturation processes. Both may operate through common mechanisms: heightened epistemic trust at the psychological level and heightened serotonin 2a receptor-binding with associated hyper-plastic states at the neural level. The synthesis draws on attachment-religion research, anthropological studies of Ayahuasca use in shamanic tourism, and preliminary attachment-psychedelics research. Future research directions and ethical considerations for psychedelic-assisted therapies and cross-cultural research are outlined.
December 25, 2021 Aaron D. Cherniak, Joel Gruneau Brulin, Mario Mikulincer et al. 4 citations preprint
Combining attachment theory with the REBUS model offers a framework for understanding how psychedelic experiences can reshape spiritual and religious beliefs. Attachment theory holds that early caregiving relationships create internal working models that act as mental templates for later interpersonal and divine relationships. Psychedelic therapy may work by loosening rigid, defensive mental patterns—such as insecure attachment to others or God—while corrective relational experiences with a therapist or others amplify this effect. Three research proposals are outlined: individual attachment security predicts how people experience and integrate psychedelic sessions; effective psychedelic therapy should increase attachment security as a measurable outcome; and attachment-related processes—like feeling connected to others or God and reducing attachment-related anxieties—are key mechanisms in psychedelic treatment's clinical benefits.
The Oxford Handbook of Psychedelic, Religious, Spiritual, and Mystical Experiences December 18, 2024 Aaron D. Cherniak, Robin Carhart-Harris, Joel Gruneau Brulin et al. 2 citations
A theoretical synthesis of attachment theory and the REBUS neuroscientific model offers an organizing framework for psychedelic science. Attachment theory holds that people develop internal working models (IWMs) of relational experiences that function as predictive models shaping social and emotional worlds. Effective psychedelic interventions may induce a hyper-plastic neural state that, supported by corrective relational experiences, facilitates rapid learning and revision of IWMs toward greater security. Three proposals guide future research: individual differences in attachment security predict psychedelic phenomenology and integration; increasing attachment security may be a clinical outcome; and clinical utility involves attachment-related dynamics such as connectedness and alleviation of worries.
Aaron D. Cherniak, Joel Gruneau Brulin, Sebastian Ostlind et al. preprint
Our early relationships profoundly shape how we connect with others and the divine. This framework proposes that psychedelics could help relax rigid mental patterns formed by these foundational experiences. It suggests an individual's attachment security influences their psychedelic journey, and that effective psychedelic therapy may actually boost this security. The process involves fostering a deeper sense of connection and easing worries, enhancing treatment benefits.