Intentions might matter in unexpected ways: A nuanced exploration of psychedelic intentions beyond their type
Research Square June 9, 2026 Iryana Mosina, David Luke
People's intentions before taking a high dose of classic psychedelics are linked to the quality of their experience. In a retrospective survey of 296 individuals, those whose intentions were more ritualized, felt purer, and played a central role in the experience reported more positive outcomes, including greater personal realization, significance, mystical-type experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and connectedness. Whether the intention originated internally or externally mattered less, except that intentions formed with help from meaningful others predicted higher emotional breakthrough scores. These findings suggest that preparing intentions with ritual and perceived purity may enhance psychedelic experiences.