Impact of a Naturalistic Psychedelic Experience on Smoking: A Retrospective Survey.
B Romeo, B Fauvel, S Dejean, L Strika, A Amirouche, V Verroust, P Piolino, A Benyamina
Journal of psychoactive drugs January 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2227171 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA retrospective online survey of 173 smokers who had a psychedelic experience found that average cigarettes per day and the proportion with high tobacco dependency dropped significantly afterward. Participants who reduced or quit smoking reported more intense mystical experiences during the session and lower psychological flexibility before it. Increased psychological flexibility after the session and personal motives for taking the psychedelic were positive predictors of smoking reduction or cessation. The findings suggest that a naturalistic psychedelic experience can be linked to reduced tobacco use, with the intensity of the mystical experience, personal motives, and gains in psychological flexibility playing key roles.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Retrospective survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 173 |
| Population | Individuals who reported having a psychedelic experience while being smokers |
| Intervention | psychedelic experience |
| Topics | Addiction |
| Keywords | Psychedelic Psychological flexibility Smoking Tobacco use disorder |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key finding | A psychedelic experience in natural contexts is associated with reduced smoking and tobacco dependency, with mystical experience intensity, personal motives, and increased psychological flexibility predicting reduction or cessation. |
Abstract
Tobacco use disorder is a major public health concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a psychedelic experience in a natural context on tobacco use. A retrospective online survey was conducted on 173 individuals who reported having had a psychedelic experience while being smokers. Demographic information was collected, and characteristics of the psychedelic experience, tobacco addiction and psychological flexibility were assessed. Mean number of cigarettes smoked per day, and proportion of individuals with high tobacco dependency significantly decreased between the three time points (p < .001). Participants who reduced or quit smoking had more intense mystical experiences during the psychedelic session (p = .01) and lower psychological flexibility before the psychedelic experience (p = .018). The increase in psychological flexibility post psychedelic session, and the personal motives for the psychedelic experience were significant positive predictors of smoking reduction or cessation (p < .001). Our results confirmed that a psychedelic experience in smoker individuals can be associated with smoking and tobacco dependency reduction and that the personal motives for the psychedelic session, the intensity of the mystical experience, and the increase of psychological flexibility following the psychedelic experience, are associated with smoking cessation or reduction.