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M. van Elk

Broadening Your Mind to Include Others: The relationship between serotonergic psychedelic experiences and maladaptive narcissism

February 6, 2022 / Papers, Psychology / Leave a Comment / By / , ,

Abstract

Rationale: Recent research has shown that classical serotonergic psychedelic (CSP) drugs may be used to ameliorate certain health issues and disorders. Here we hypothesised that CSP experiences, through their ability to induce awe and ego-dissolution, may result in a reduction of maladaptive narcissistic personality traits, such as a strong sense of entitlement and lack of empathy.

Objectives: Our objective was to investigate whether high levels of awe and ego dissolution during recent CSP experiences are associated with currently lower levels of maladaptive narcissism.

Methods: In this pre-registered high-powered (N = 414) study, we used an online retrospective survey asking participants to describe their ‘most awe-inspiring, impressive, significant, or emotionally intense experience’, as well as several validated scales to test our hypothesis.

Results: A statistically significant mediation model indicated that recent CSP-induced experiences were associated with currently increased feelings of connectedness and affective empathetic drive, which in turn were associated with decreased exploitative-entitled narcissism. This relationship held even when taking into account sensation-seeking personality features. We found no evidence for feelings of ego dissolution to have the same effect.

Conclusions: Feelings of awe, but not ego dissolution, during recent CSP experiences were associated with increased feelings of connectedness and empathy, which in turn were associated with decreased levels of maladaptive narcissism personality features. This suggests that CSPs hold therapeutic potential for disorders involving connectedness and empathy, such as the treatment of pathological narcissism, and that the induction of connectedness through awe appears to be the driving force behind this potential.

van Mulukom, V., Patterson, R. E., & van Elk, M. (2020). Broadening Your Mind to Include Others: The relationship between serotonergic psychedelic experiences and maladaptive narcissism. Psychopharmacology, 237(9), 2725–2737. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-020-05568-y

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Broadening Your Mind to Include Others: The relationship between serotonergic psychedelic experiences and maladaptive narcissism

May 29, 2020 / Papers, Psychology, Publications / By / , ,

Abstract

Rationale: Recent research has shown that classical serotonergic psychedelic (CSP) drugs may be used to ameliorate certain health issues and disorders. Here we hypothesised that CSP experiences, through their ability to induce awe and ego-dissolution, may result in a reduction of maladaptive narcissistic personality traits, such as a strong sense of entitlement and lack of empathy.
Objectives: Our objective was to investigate whether high levels of awe and ego dissolution during recent CSP experiences are associated with currently lower levels of maladaptive narcissism.
Methods: In this pre-registered high-powered (N = 414) study, we used an online retrospective survey asking participants to describe their ‘most awe-inspiring, impressive, significant, or emotionally intense experience’, as well as several validated scales to test our hypothesis.
Results: A statistically significant mediation model indicated that recent CSP-induced experiences were associated with currently increased feelings of connectedness and affective empathetic drive, which in turn were associated with decreased exploitative-entitled narcissism. This relationship held even when taking into account sensation-seeking personality features. We found no evidence for feelings of ego dissolution to have the same effect.
Conclusions: Feelings of awe, but not ego dissolution, during recent CSP experiences were associated with increased feelings of connectedness and empathy, which in turn were associated with decreased levels of maladaptive narcissism personality features. This suggests that CSPs hold therapeutic potential for disorders involving connectedness and empathy, such as the treatment of pathological narcissism, and that the induction of connectedness through awe appears to be the driving force behind this potential.
van Mulukom, V., Patterson, R., & van Elk, M. (2020). Broadening Your Mind to Include Others-The relationship between serotonergic psychedelic experiences and maladaptive narcissism_PREPRINT. PsyArXiv. March, 10., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-020-05568-y
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[Neuroscientific and psychological explanations for the therapeutic effects of psychedelics]

January 1, 2020 / Papers, Psychology, Publications / By /

Abstract

Psychedelics have a strong therapeutic potential for the treatment of biomedical disorders, but the working mechanisms underlying psychedelics are only poorly understood.<br/> AIM: To discuss different mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of classic psychedelics.<br/> METHOD: To make a distinction between different levels of explanation: the pharmacological, the neurocognitive and the psychological level.<br/> RESULTS: At the pharmacological level, classic psychedelics affect via the serotonin-receptor, the production of glutamate and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf), which stimulate neurogenesis. Psychedelics also have anti-flammatory properties and thereby have a protective effect on the brain. At the neurocognitive level, psychedelics have been associated with a reduced activation of the default mode network, which has been implicated in self-referential processing and rumination. At the same time, the brain’s entropy increases, reflected in an increased connectivity between different brain areas. At the psychological level, the therapeutic efficacy of psychedelics has been attributed to the mystical experience, as well as to its awe-inducing potential, the feelings of connectedness and an enhanced awareness of emotions.<br/> CONCLUSION: Psycholytic and psychedelic therapy act at different levels, but ultimately the combination of different mechanisms will help us to understand how psychedelics – in the right set and setting – can be used successfully in therapeutic practice.
van Elk, M. (2020). Neuroscientific and psychological explanations for the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. Tijdschrift Voor Psychiatrie, 62(8), 677-683., https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32816296/
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