Comparison of psychedelic and near-death or other non-ordinary experiences in changing attitudes about death and dying
PLoS ONE August 24, 2022 Mary M. Sweeney, Sandeep M. Nayak, Ethan Hurwitz et al. 60 citations
Psychedelic drug experiences and near-death or other non-ordinary experiences both change people's beliefs about death, but direct comparisons are rare. In a survey of 3,192 individuals who reported such experiences, those from non-drug causes (e.g., near-death) were more likely to involve unconsciousness, clinical death, or imminent danger. Both groups reported similar reductions in fear of death, high personal meaning, spiritual significance, and psychological insight. However, psychedelic participants scored higher on standardized measures of mystical and near-death features, while non-drug participants more often rated their experience as the single most meaningful of their lives. Among psychedelics, ayahuasca and DMT produced stronger positive enduring effects than psilocybin and LSD.