Psychedelic Therapy, Positive Emotional Experiences, and the Central Role of Self-Compassion
Research Square August 22, 2025 Richard J. Zeifman, George Danias, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes et al. 2 citations
Psychedelics can acutely induce mystical experiences and elevated positive mood, which may contribute to the potential benefits of psychedelic therapy. However, there remains limited understanding of the occurrence and importance of specific positive emotional experiences within psychedelic therapy. Therefore, we examined the effects of psychedelics on positive emotional experiences and their association with improvements in mental health. Methods: Study 1 was an observational study of naturalistic psychedelic use. Study 2 used data from a clinical trial that compared psilocybin with escitalopram in individuals with major depressive disorder.