A quantitative exploration of the relationships between regular yoga practice, microdosing psychedelics, wellbeing and personality variables
Stephen Bright, Eyal Gringart, Emily Blatchford, Samantha Bettinson
preprint DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/zkpxe
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPeople who microdose psychedelics report similar improvements in psychological wellbeing, openness, and absorption as people who practice yoga. In a survey of 339 adults, both the yoga-only and microdose-only groups scored higher on wellbeing and absorption than a control group. Those who both microdosed and practiced yoga had the lowest depression scores (lower than the microdose-only group) and the lowest anxiety scores (lower than the yoga-only group), and they also had the highest absorption scores. The control group scored significantly lower on openness than all other groups. The findings suggest that microdosing and yoga may have comparable subjective effects and that combining both could be especially beneficial, although the study cannot establish causation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 339 |
| Population | Adults who self-identified as practicing yoga, microdosing psychedelics, both, or neither (control) |
| Interventions | Yoga microdosing psychedelics |
| Key finding | Yoga and microdosing groups scored significantly higher on psychological wellbeing and absorption than controls, and the combination of both was associated with the lowest depression and anxiety scores and the highest absorption scores. |
Abstract
Objective: The current study aimed to explore whether the subjective effects of microdosing psychedelics are comparable to those of yoga in relation to psychological wellbeing, depression, anxiety and stress. It also aimed to explore the relationship between yoga, microdosing and personality variables including neuroticism, openness and absorption.Method: The sample comprised 339 participants, yoga (n = 131), microdose (n = 69), microdose and yoga (n = 54) and control (n = 85). All completed an online survey concerning personality (M5-50 and Tellegen Absorption Scale), mood (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21) and wellbeing (Ryff Scales of Psychological Wellbeing).Results: The yoga and microdosing groups scored significantly higher on psychological wellbeing and absorption than did control. The microdosing and yoga group had lower depression scores than the microdose only group, and lower anxiety scores than the yoga only group. Furthermore, the microdosing and yoga group had the highest absorption score. Openness was significantly lower in the control group than in all other groups.Conclusions: While we cannot infer that yoga and microdosing leads to increased wellbeing, openness and absorption, or to decreased depression and anxiety, the findings suggest that the subjective effects of microdosing psychedelics are comparable to those of yoga and that the combination of both might be beneficial.