Scientific Reports
August 22, 2023
Hannes Kettner, Stephen Ross, Richard J. Zeifman et al.
31 citations
Co-using a low dose of MDMA with psilocybin or LSD is associated with less intense challenging experiences—such as grief and fear—and increased feelings of self-compassion, love, and gratitude, compared to using psilocybin or LSD alone. In a survey of 698 people planning to use these substances, the 27 who also took a low dose of MDMA reported these benefits without a reduction in mystical-type experiences or compassion. Medium-to-high MDMA doses did not show the same effects. The findings suggest MDMA may buffer against some difficult aspects of psychedelic experiences, but the study's small, non-experimental convenience sample limits certainty.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 7, 2025
Amy Lehrner, Heather Jackson, David S. Mathai et al.
11 citations
Among 679 adults using psilocybin in naturalistic settings, 68.2% reported acute feelings of shame or guilt during the experience, which were difficult to predict. The ability to constructively work through these feelings predicted wellbeing 2-4 weeks later. On average, psilocybin produced a small but significant decrease in trait shame maintained 2-3 months after use (Cohen's dz = 0.37), though trait shame increased in 29.8% of participants. The activation of self-conscious emotions with psychedelics warrants further attention as a challenging experience subcategory relevant to psychological outcomes, potentially creating a unique learning condition for shame-related memory reconsolidation.
October 14, 2023
David S. Mathai, Daniel E. Roberts, Sandeep M. Nayak et al.
preprint
A longitudinal study of 679 adults planning to use psilocybin in naturalistic settings found that while most users (89.7%) described the experience as positive, acute feelings of shame or guilt were commonly reported (68.2% of users) and difficult to predict. The ability to constructively work through these feelings predicted wellbeing 2-4 weeks after use. Psilocybin produced a small but significant average decrease in trait shame that lasted 2-3 months, but trait shame increased in a notable minority (29.8%) of participants. The activation of shame-related experiences with psychedelics may pose a unique learning condition for both therapeutic and detrimental forms of memory reconsolidation.