Reproducing the Psychedelic Experience: “One of the 5 Most Meaningful Experiences in Life”?

Most users rate a psychedelic experience as among the most meaningful events in their lives. In a survey of Swedish psychedelic users, 58% ranked the experience among the top 5 most meaningful events, 85% among the top 10, and 94% reported that it improved their life. Experiences were often challenging, and 4.5% reported negative effects. Factors such as high openness to experience, a personal growth motive, and support from family and friends were associated with more positive outcomes. The authors caution that self-report and cross-sectional design limit certainty about the impact of psychedelics on well-being.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In the midst of burgeoning research and societal debate regarding the impact of psychedelics on well-being, one key statistic stands out: Most users rate the psychedelic experience as one of the most meaningful in life. The present study aimed to investigate this using a questionnaire for the first time among Swedish psychedelic users. Results: The results showed that 58% regarded the psychedelic experience as one of the top 5 and 85% regarded it as one of the top 10 most meaningful events in life. 94% ascribed improvement in life due to the experience. These experiences were described as challenging and 4.5% also reported negative effects. Personality and setting factors such as having high openness, a personal growth motive, and having support from family and friends further improved the experience. We discuss that due to methodological limitations, self-report, and cross-sectional design, there is still uncertainty in impact of psychedelics on well-being.