In a survey of 770 Norwegian adults who had a memorable experience with a classic psychedelic substance like psilocybin or LSD, most used the substance for recreational (46.1%) or therapeutic (42.3%) reasons. Psilocybin was the most common substance for the memorable experience. Many participants reported self-perceived symptoms of mental disorders and substance use disorders, and most said their condition improved after the experience. Adverse reactions were usually mild and short-lived, but 4.2% lasted a year or more, and 2.9% had persisting flashbacks for a year or more. The findings highlight both benefits and long-term risks in a self-selecting sample.
In a representative sample of the Norwegian population (1,078 respondents), 8% reported having tried psilocybin, and 51% were willing to try it as part of medical treatment. These findings suggest that psilocybin use is more common in Norway than hypothesized, and the public is relatively open to its medical use, which is promising for conducting rigorous clinical trials on psilocybin-assisted treatment in the country.