Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later

By Roland R. Griffiths, W. A. Richards, Matthew W. Johnson, U. McCann, R. Jesse. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008

812 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Psilocybin has been used for centuries for religious purposes; however, little is known scientifically about its long-term effects. We previously reported the effects of a double-blind study evaluating the psychological effects of a high psilocybin dose. This report presents the 14-month follow-up and examines the relationship of the follow-up results to data obtained at screening and on drug session days. Participants were 36 hallucinogen-naïve adults reporting regular participation in religious/ spiritual activities. Oral psilocybin (30 mg/70 kg) was administered on one of two or three sessions, with methylphenidate (40 mg/70 kg) administered on the other session(s). During sessions, volunteers were encouraged to close their eyes and direct their attention inward. At the 14-month follow-up, 58% and 67%, respectively, of volunteers rated the psilocybin-occasioned experience as being among the five most personally meaningful and among the five most spiritually significant experiences of their lives; 64% indicated that the experience increased well-being or life satisfaction; 58% met criteria for having had a 'complete' mystical experience. Correlation and regression analyses indicated a central role of the mystical experience assessed on the session day in the high ratings of personal meaning and spiritual significance at follow-up. Of the measures of personality, affect, quality of life and spirituality assessed across the study, only a scale measuring mystical experience showed a difference from screening. When administered under supportive conditions, psilocybin occasioned experiences similar to spontaneously occurring mystical experiences that, at 14-month follow-up, were considered by volunteers to be among the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant of their lives.

Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Health, Pharmacology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8b54ddd9e7bd7d50e17fd859f71038906017cf13

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Citations in the corpus

Psychedelics (2016, methodology): “Griffiths et al. (2008) subsequently conducted a 14-month follow-up of the subjects from their earlier study.”
Serotonin and brain function: a tale of two receptors (2017, background): “, 2015) and psychological well-being (Carhart-Harris et al., 2016c; Griffiths et al., 2008) with administration and use of 5-HT2AR agonist psychedelics.”
Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity (2018, background): “Classical serotonergic psychedelics are known to cause changes in mood (Griffiths et al., 2006, 2008, 2011) and brain function (Carhart-Harris et al., 2017) that persist long after the acute effects of the drugs have subsided.”
Mystical Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin Lead to Increases in the Personality Domain of Openness (2011, methodology): “…results indicating a correlation between mystical experiences during the session and longterm spiritual significance and personal meaning attribution (Griffiths et al., 2008), we hypothesized that mystical experiences during the psilocybin session would lead to enduring increases in Openness.”
Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial (2016, background): “Also relevant, a recent open-label pilot study in 12 patients with treatment-resistant depression showed marked reductions in depressive symptoms 1 week and 3 months after administration of 10 and 25 mg of psilocybin in two sessions separated by 7 days (Carhart-Harris et al., 2016).”
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up (2017, methodology): “involving appropriate psychological support), sustained improvements in well-being in healthy individuals were observed after a single dose of psilocybin in a doubleblind design incorporating an active placebo (Griffiths et al. 2008).”
The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience (2017, background): “These beneficial effects have been shown to last at least 18 months after a laboratory session (Griffiths et al., 2008).”
Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study (2015, positive): “…ultimate reality, transcendence of time and space, deeply felt positive mood, and ineffability (Pahnke, 1963)) significantly predicts the lasting personal significance of the experience (Griffiths et al., 2008) and personality change (Maclean et al., 2011) in normal volunteers receiving psilocybin.”
Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: Immediate and persisting dose-related effects (2011, background): “The present study also extends previous observations indicating that psilocybin can occasion persisting positive changes in attitudes, mood, life satisfaction, behavior, and altruism/social effects (Griffiths et al. 2006, 2008).”
Of Roots and Fruits: A Comparison of Psychedelic and Nonpsychedelic Mystical Experiences (2017, background): “Outcomes such as heightened mood, altruistic social effects, and other positive behavioral changes persisted at 2- and 18-month follow-ups (Griffiths et al., 2008).”
Pilot Study of the 5-HT2AR Agonist Psilocybin in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction (2014, background): “Moreover, at 14-month follow-up, 61% of volunteers associated these experiences with moderate to extreme positive behavior change (Griffiths et al., 2008).”
Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial (2016, background): “…transient near-psychotic symptoms) attributable to psilocybin are all known AEs of psilocybin, were transient, tolerable, and consistent with prior trials of psilocybin administration in normal volunteers (Griffiths et al., 2006, 2008, 2011), and patients with terminal cancer (Grob et al., 2011).”