Psychedelics alter metaphysical beliefs

Psychedelic use can shift metaphysical beliefs away from materialism and toward panpsychism and fatalism, and these changes persist for at least six months. In a large prospective online survey, participants reported significant belief changes after using psychedelics, with shifts linked to the extent of past use and improved mental health. The belief shifts were moderated by baseline impressionability and mediated by perceived emotional synchrony with others during the experience. Findings were confirmed in an independent controlled clinical trial, suggesting psychedelics causally influence metaphysical beliefs.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Are psychedelics able to induce lasting changes in metaphysical beliefs? While it is popularly believed that they can, this has never been systematically tested. Here we exploited a large sample derived from prospective online surveying to determine whether and how beliefs concerning the nature of reality, consciousness, and free-will, change after psychedelic use. Results revealed significant shifts away from ‘physicalist’ or ‘materialist’ views, and towards panpsychism and fatalism, post use. These changes remained detectable at 6 months, and were associated with the extent of past use and improved mental-health outcomes. Path modelling suggested that the belief-shifts were moderated by impressionability at baseline and mediated by perceived emotional synchrony with others during the psychedelic experience. The observed belief-shifts post psychedelic use were confirmed by data from an independent controlled clinical trial. Together, these findings imply that psychedelic use has a causal influence on metaphysical beliefs – shifting them away from ‘hard materialism’.