Understanding the Psychological Effects of Psilocybin and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine in a Non-Clinical Population
medRxiv May 29, 2025 Paul B. Fitzgerald, Sara Webb, Nigel Christopher Denning et al. 2 citations preprint
A single dose of psilocybin, but not MDMA, produced short-term psychological changes in healthy adults: reduced neuroticism, increased extraversion, and improvements in mindfulness and connectedness one week after dosing. Psilocybin also induced stronger mystical experiences than MDMA, and the magnitude of those experiences correlated with changes in connectedness and mindfulness, though not with personality changes. Participants preferred larger group settings for MDMA than for psilocybin. The findings suggest that psilocybin's psychological effects may be mediated by mystical-type experiences.