How psychedelics may enhance mood at mass gatherings

Psychedelic drug use among attendees of mass gatherings is associated with enhanced mood mediated by transformative experiences and social connectedness, a study suggests. The use of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin has been associated with enhanced mood and feelings of social connectedness in controlled laboratory and therapeutic settings. However, the extent to which such psychological effects manifest in naturalistic and nonclinical contexts, which typically characterize psychedelic drug use, is unclear. Matthias Forstmann, Molly Crockett, and colleagues gathered survey data from 1,225 participants at six multi-day mass gatherings occurring between 2015 and 2017 in the United States and United Kingdom. Compared with no psychedelic use, the use of psychedelic drugs within the previous 24 hours was associated with an increase in positive mood, social connectedness, and transformative experiences, which represent profound changes to a person’s values, beliefs, or morals. Additional analysis suggested that transformative experiences and social connectedness predicted positive mood among psychedelic drug users. According to the authors, the lab-in-field approach validates previous findings from laboratory and clinical studies and supports further research on the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelic drug use.

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Article #19-18477: “Transformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic use in naturalistic settings,” by Matthias Forstmann, Daniel A. Yudkin, Annayah M.B. Prosser, S. Megan Heller, and Molly J. Crockett

MEDIA CONTACTS: Matthias Forstmann, University of Cologne, GERMANY; e-mail: <

[email protected]

>; Molly Crockett, Yale University, New Haven, CT; e-mail: <

[email protected]

>