DOES THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE PSILOCYBIN EXPERIENCE PREDICT LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON MOOD AND WELL-BEING IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS?
Tomáš Páleníček, Tereza Klučková, Marek Nikolič, Čestmír Vejmola, Filip Tylš, Vojtěch Viktorin, Jiří Horáček, Martin Brunovský
IBRO Neuroscience Reports November 6, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.08.1240 via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe study examined how the subjective experiences (phenomenology) induced by psilocybin, a psychedelic drug being tested as a rapid-acting antidepressant, relate to long-term changes in mood, spirituality, and relationships with self, life, and others. In healthy volunteers, positive aspects of the psychedelic experience were associated with beneficial long-term outcomes, while fearful aspects were linked to negative long-term outcomes. The findings suggest that the quality of the subjective experience during psilocybin use may influence its lasting psychological effects.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Key finding | Positive phenomenology during psilocybin experiences was associated with positive long-term outcomes, while fearful phenomenology was associated with negative long-term outcomes. |
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The mechanisms by which the psychedelic drug psilocybin, a novel rapid-acting antidepressant, improves depressive symptoms are still unclear. One candidate mechanism is the impact of the phenomenology of the psychedelic experience, with positive phenomenology hypothesised to be associated with positive long-term outcomes and fearful phenomenology hypothesised to be associated with negative long-term outcomes. The present study investigated how phenomenology influences long-term effects on mood, spirituality, and relationships with self, life, and others following single and repeated experiences in healthy volunteers.