Study Finds Psychedelics Provide Significant Mood Boost And Reduce Anxiety And Depression Through Spirituality

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The pathway linking psychedelic usage to enhanced mental health is revealed in a recent paper released in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. The research reveals proof of a link between psychedelic usage and increased spirituality, which leads to improved emotion management. As a result of this enhanced emotion control, symptoms of sadness, anxiety, or disordered eating seem to be reduced.

Non-Western civilizations have employed psychedelic substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca in ceremonial rites for hundreds and hundreds of years. Westerners’ curiosity in the therapeutic properties of psychedelics has lately returned, and scientific research in these substances’ medical properties has reappeared. While research is beginning to identify therapeutic benefits, the mechanism behind these actions is still largely unknown.

Enhanced spirituality and advances in emotion management were identified as important side effects of psychedelic usage, according to researchers Adele Lafrance and the team. The authors theorize that psychedelic usage is linked to better mental health because it increases spiritual connections, which helps with emotion management.

Lafrance and her colleagues delivered a survey to 159 psychedelic users ranging in age from 18 to 69 years old. The respondents were asked to assess their spirituality and reflect on their psychedelic usage over the course of their lives. They also filled out questionnaires about emotion management, sadness, anxiety, and disordered eating.

Study results

A great percent of respondents (96%) said they had taken psilocybin previously, and a 3rd (33%) said they had tried more than one sort of psychedelic. The scientists discovered that individuals who used psychedelics more frequently had stronger spirituality, and those who had stronger spirituality had less difficulty with emotion management. They further discovered that people who had more trouble controlling their emotions had greater levels of sadness, anxiety, and EDs. In other terms, people who had fewer problems with emotion management had greater mental wellbeing.

Susan Kowal
Susan Kowal is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor/advisor, and health enthusiast.