Exploring associations between connectedness and death anxiety following a psychedelic experience
Journal of Psychedelic Studies March 9, 2026 Noah N. Barr, Briony Larance, Matthew J. Schweickle et al.
A survey of 106 adults who had a meaningful psychedelic experience found that increases in feelings of connectedness—to oneself, others, and the world—were linked to reduced fear of death and death avoidance. Participants reported these changes when comparing the three months before and after the experience. Greater connectedness in all three domains was associated with less fear of death, but only connectedness to self and others was tied to lower death avoidance. The intensity of the mystical experience was also related to greater connectedness and less fear of death, but not to death avoidance. The authors call for further research to clarify causality and whether these changes reflect adaptive acceptance or denial.