Down the Rabbit Hole: A Large-Scale Survey of Psychedelic Users’ Patterns of Use and Perceived Effects
Carrie Cuttler, Amanda Stueber, Jonathan Simone, Leah M Mayo
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 29, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2025.2452226 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAn online survey of 1,486 U.S. adults (average age 29.58, 67.1% male) examined patterns of psychedelic use. Respondents most often used MDMA, LSD, DMT, and psilocybin, primarily by oral administration and for recreational purposes. The most common acute effects were hallucinations, increased heart rate, positive mood, and visual tracers; residual effects included headaches, dry mouth, nausea, hallucinations, and anxiety. Distress about negative mood, vomiting, and nausea during acute effects was low on average. These findings can inform clinical trials and policy as psychedelic legality and accessibility evolve.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,486 |
| Population | U.S. adults who use psychedelics |
| Keywords | Acute effects Administration methods Intentions Psychedelics Substance use patterns |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key finding | Psychedelic users predominantly take MDMA, LSD, DMT, and psilocybin orally for recreation, and while hallucinations and positive mood are common acute effects, distress about negative effects is low. |
Abstract
The ever-changing landscape surrounding legality and accessibility of psychedelics and their increasing popularity make it imperative to better understand the nature of psychedelic use by the general population. To this end, 1,486 eligible respondents (Mage = 29.58, 67.1% male) residing in the United States completed an online survey designed to assess the types of psychedelics used, methods of administration and dosing, frequency of use, intentions for use, context/environments in which they are used, perceived acute effects, frequency of those effects and distress about them, and their perceived residual effects and distress about them. Respondents predominantly endorsed using MDMA, LSD, DMT, and psilocybin. The predominant methods of administration were oral. Most reported using psychedelics for recreational purposes. The most endorsed acute effects were hallucinations, increased heart rate, positive mood, and visual tracers, while the most endorsed residual effects were headaches/migraine, dry mouth, nausea, hallucinations, and anxiety. Participants were most distressed by negative mood states, vomiting, and nausea when under the acute effects of psychedelics, but mean distress ratings were low. These results can help inform clinical trials, reform policy regarding legal access to psychedelics, and track changes in these metrics as sociocultural and legal landscapes continue to shift.