Psychedelic Experiences After Bereavement Improve Symptoms of Grief: The Influence of Emotional Breakthroughs and Challenging Experiences

Grief can become problematic or impairing, and while treatments for prolonged grief disorder exist, they have room for improvement. In a survey of 363 recreational psychedelic users who had experienced a bereavement, retrospective reports showed improvements in grief symptoms after the psychedelic experience, with a large effect size. Emotional breakthroughs during the experience were linked to greater symptom improvement, whereas challenging experiences were associated with less improvement. These findings suggest that psychedelic-assisted therapy could be a promising alternative for treating grief symptoms.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Grief, a common reaction to loss, can frequently become problematic or impairing. Available treatments for prolonged grief disorder are promising but leave room for considerable improvement. Qualitative accounts of psychedelic experiences after bereavement reveal themes that parallel core components of prolonged grief disorder therapy. However, few studies have investigated the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for symptoms of grief. The present study surveyed recreational psychedelic users (N = 363) who had suffered a bereavement event. They reported retrospective grief symptoms before and after the psychedelic experience as well as subjective reactions to the psychedelic, including emotional breakthroughs and challenging experiences. Results indicate improvements in grief symptoms after a psychedelic experience, with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.83). The occurrence of emotional breakthroughs was positively associated with improvements in symptoms of grief, while the converse relation was observed for challenging experiences. Findings provide preliminary evidence that support the development of a psychedelic-assisted therapy protocol to target symptoms of grief. Psychedelic-assisted therapy might offer an alternative to current grief treatment options.