Predicting the Intensity of Psychedelic-Induced Mystical and Challenging Experience in a Healthy Population: An Exploratory Post-Hoc Analysis.
Kwonmok Ko, Ben Carter, Anthony J Cleare, James J Rucker
Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment January 1, 2023 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s426193 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn psychedelic therapy, both mystical and challenging experiences may affect treatment outcomes, but what predicts their intensity is not well understood. Analyzing data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 89 healthy volunteers received a placebo, 10 mg, or 25 mg of psilocybin. Higher dosage strongly predicted greater intensity of both mystical and challenging experiences. Older age was linked to less intense challenging experiences. Personality traits showed little correlation, except that neuroticism correlated with more intense challenging experiences at the higher dose. Positive or negative mood before dosing did not predict experience intensity. The analysis was exploratory and post hoc.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Placebo-controlled Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 89 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | 10 mg, 25 mg |
| Topics | Mystical experience Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Challenging experience Mystical experiences Psilocybin research Adverse reactions |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key finding | Higher psilocybin dosage strongly predicted greater intensity of both mystical and challenging experiences, and age was negatively correlated with challenging experience intensity. |
Abstract
In psychedelic therapy, mystical as well as challenging experience may influence therapeutic outcome. However, predictors of such experience have not been sufficiently established. Determining predictors of their intensity is, therefore, potentially beneficial in targeting psilocybin therapy for depression. In a post hoc data analysis of a Phase 1, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-groups clinical trial, dosage, personality traits, affect, and individual data were analysed as possible clinical predictors. Eighty-nine healthy volunteers were randomised to receive a single dose of placebo, 10 mg of psilocybin, or 25 mg of psilocybin. ANOVA was used to analyse the relationship between dosage and mystical and/or challenging experience, and correlation analysis for all other variables. The intensity of both mystical and challenging experience was strongly associated with higher dosage. Age was negatively correlated with intensity of challenging experience. Correlation between identified personality traits and either mystical or challenging experience was minimal, with the exception of positive correlation between neuroticism and challenging experience at higher dose. Neither positive nor negative affect indicated correlation with the intensity of either type of experience. A limitation of this study is its post hoc, exploratory design; recommendations for further research are provided.