OPEN Foundation

R. Griffiths

Comparative phenomenology of psilocybin experiences in research and non-research settings

November 1, 2015 / Addiction, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Publications / By / , , ,

Abstract

This study sought to compare questionnaire ratings of subjective experiences after psilocybin when administered in controlled research settings vs. uncontrolled, non-research settings.

Carbonaro, T. M., Klinedinst, M., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2015). Comparative phenomenology of psilocybin experiences in research and non-research settings. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 156, e36-e37.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.1017
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Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation: Abstinence outcomes and qualitative analysis of participant accounts

November 1, 2015 / Addiction, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychology, Publications / By / , , , , , ,

Abstract

We assessed long-term (>12 months) outcomes of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation, and qualitatively analyzed participants’ accounts to inform potential psychological mechanisms of treatment efficacy.

Garcia-Romeu, A. P., Noorani, T., Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Garey, L., Zvolensky, M. J., & Schmidt, N. B. (2015). Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation: Abstinence outcomes and qualitative analysis of participant accounts. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 156, e78.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.1130
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Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin

October 6, 2015 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Mystical experiences, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Spirituality / By / , ,

Abstract

The 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) was previously developed within an online survey of mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The rated experiences occurred on average eight years before completion of the questionnaire. The current paper validates the MEQ30 using data from experimental studies with controlled doses of psilocybin. Data were pooled and analyzed from five laboratory experiments in which participants (n=184) received a moderate to high oral dose of psilocybin (at least 20 mg/70 kg). Results of confirmatory factor analysis demonstrate the reliability and internal validity of the MEQ30. Structural equation models demonstrate the external and convergent validity of the MEQ30 by showing that latent variable scores on the MEQ30 positively predict persisting change in attitudes, behavior, and well-being attributed to experiences with psilocybin while controlling for the contribution of the participant-rated intensity of drug effects. These findings support the use of the MEQ30 as an efficient measure of individual mystical experiences. A method to score a “complete mystical experience” that was used in previous versions of the mystical experience questionnaire is validated in the MEQ30, and a stand-alone version of the MEQ30 is provided for use in future research.

Barrett, F. S., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2015). Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England). http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881115609019
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Psilocybin, psychological distress, and suicidality

September 1, 2015 / Depression, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Publications / By / , ,

Abstract

Hendricks et al. (2015) found that having ever used any classic psychedelic substance—namely, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, peyote or San Pedro, or psilocybin—was associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of past month psychological distress (weighted OR = .81 (.72–.91)), past year suicidal thinking (weighted OR = .86 (.78–.94)), past year suicidal planning (weighted OR = .71 (.54–.94)), and past year suicide attempt (weighted OR = .64 (.46–.89)) in the United States adult population. Although these findings comport with an emerging literature suggesting classic psychedelics may be effective in the treatment of mental health conditions and prevention of self-harm, they do not speak to the potential risk profile or therapeutic applications of psilocybin in particular, which is the most commonly examined classic psychedelic in contemporary clinical research. Considering that psilocybin may be a candidate for future approved medical use in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations (Bogenschutz et al., 2015; Grob et al., 2011; Johnson et al., 2014; see also Nutt et al., 2013), an analysis of the specific relationships of psilocybin use with psychological distress and suicidality may help inform decisions by the United States Food and Drug Administration and regulatory bodies of other nations. The objectives of the current research, therefore, were to extend the analysis of Hendricks et al. (2015) by evaluating the associations of lifetime psilocybin use, per se, with past month psychological distress, past year suicidal thinking, past year suicidal planning, and past year suicide attempt in the United States adult population.

Hendricks, P. S., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2015). Psilocybin, psychological distress, and suicidality. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29(9), 1041-1043. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881115598338
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Psilocybin-Occasioned Mystical Experiences in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction

February 23, 2015 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Mystical experiences, Papers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Publications, Safety, Spirituality / By / , ,

Abstract

Psilocybin-occasioned mystical experiences have been linked to persisting effects in healthy volunteers including positive changes in behavior, attitudes, and values, and increases in the personality domain of openness. In an open-label pilot-study of psilocybin-facilitated smoking addiction treatment, 15 smokers received 2 or 3 doses of psilocybin in the context of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking cessation. Twelve of 15 participants (80%) demonstrated biologically verified smoking abstinence at 6-month follow-up. Participants who were abstinent at 6 months (n=12) were compared to participants still smoking at 6 months (n=3) on measures of subjective effects of psilocybin. Abstainers scored significantly higher on a measure of psilocybin-occasioned mystical experience. No significant differences in general intensity of drug effects were found between groups, suggesting that mystical-type subjective effects, rather than overall intensity of drug effects, were responsible for smoking cessation. Nine of 15 participants (60%) met criteria for “complete” mystical experience. Smoking cessation outcomes were significantly correlated with measures of mystical experience on session days, as well as retrospective ratings of personal meaning and spiritual significance of psilocybin sessions. These results suggest a mediating role of mystical experience in psychedelic-facilitated addiction treatment.

Garcia-Romeu, A., Griffiths, R. R., & Johnson, M. W. (2015). Psilocybin-occasioned Mystical Experiences in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 7(3), 157-164. http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1874473708666150107121331
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Psychedelic-facilitated smoking cessation: An online survey

January 1, 2015 / Addiction, LSD, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Other substances, Papers, Psychology, Publications, Sociology / By / , ,

Abstract

Aims:
Pilot laboratory results suggest psilocybin may be an efficacious adjunct to smoking cessation treatment. However, no study has examined smoking cessation after psychedelic use in naturalistic settings.
Methods:
We are conducting an online survey collecting demographics, smoking history, and other data from people who self-report quitting/reducing smoking after taking a psychedelic.
Results:
Among current completers (N=164), LSD (49%) and psilocybin (32%) were the drugs most commonly associated with quitting/reducing, with a mode of 2-5 lifetime uses each. Participants reported smoking a mean of 12 cigs/day for a mean of 8 yrs before the experience. 62(38%) reported total and continuing abstinence after their experience, with 29 of the 62 (47%) reporting >1yr abstinence, and 7 (11%) reporting >10 yrs abstinence. Another 67 of the 164 (41%) reported persisting smoking reduction, from a mode of 10-20 cigs/day before, to a mode of <1 cig/month after the experience. The remaining 35 (21%) reported temporary reduction, with 6 of the 35 (17%) reporting >1 yr reduction. Although the majority of withdrawal symptoms were rated as equal in severity to previous quit attempts, depression, irritability, anxiety, and craving were rated as “much less severe.” 141 of the 164 (86%) reported no premeditated intention to quit/reduce smoking, and 159 (97%) described their experience as highly meaningful, with
97 (59%) considering it among the 10 most meaningful experiences of their lives. Participants cited changed life priorities/values (26%), strengthened belief in their ability to quit (26%), and changed future orientation (17%) as the most important effects leading to quitting/reducing. Other changes reported after psychedelic use included reduced alcohol (38%) and other drug use (23%).
Conclusions:
Psychedelics may prompt temporary or prolonged smoking cessation, suggesting that careful administration in a treatment context may enhance motivation in changing addictive behaviors. Psychological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying such behavioral changes require further investigation.

Garcia-Romeu, A. P., Griffiths, R. R., & Johnson, M. W. (2015). Psychedelic-facilitated smoking cessation: An online survey. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, (146), e120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.09.245
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Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction

September 11, 2014 / Addiction, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Mystical experiences, Papers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Psychotherapy, Publications, Safety / By / , , ,

Abstract

Despite suggestive early findings on the therapeutic use of hallucinogens in the treatment of substance use disorders, rigorous follow-up has not been conducted. To determine the safety and feasibility of psilocybin as an adjunct to tobacco smoking cessation treatment we conducted an open-label pilot study administering moderate (20 mg/70 kg) and high (30 mg/70 kg) doses of psilocybin within a structured 15-week smoking cessation treatment protocol. Participants were 15 psychiatrically healthy nicotine-dependent smokers (10 males; mean age of 51 years), with a mean of six previous lifetime quit attempts, and smoking a mean of 19 cigarettes per day for a mean of 31 years at intake. Biomarkers assessing smoking status, and self-report measures of smoking behavior demonstrated that 12 of 15 participants (80%) showed seven-day point prevalence abstinence at 6-month follow-up. The observed smoking cessation rate substantially exceeds rates commonly reported for other behavioral and/or pharmacological therapies (typically <35%). Although the open-label design does not allow for definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy of psilocybin, these findings suggest psilocybin may be a potentially efficacious adjunct to current smoking cessation treatment models. The present study illustrates a framework for future research on the efficacy and mechanisms of hallucinogen-facilitated treatment of addiction.

Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M. P., & Griffiths, R. R. (2014). Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 28(11), 983-992. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881114548296
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Examining the psychological mechanisms of psilocybin-assisted smoking cessation treatment: A pilot study

July 1, 2014 / Addiction, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Papers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Publications / By / , ,

Abstract

Anthropological evidence and early experimental studies suggest that structured administration of 5-HT2A agonist hallucinogens (e.g., LSD, psilocybin) may have potential in treating addictions, including alcoholism and opioid dependence. Psilocybin administration has been recently linked to persisting effects including personality change (i.e., increased NEO Openness), mood enhancement, and behavior change. The association between mood, personality, and addiction has been well documented, and suggests that psilocybin may be useful in the treatment of addiction.

Garcia-Romeu, A. P., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2014). Examining the psychological mechanisms of psilocybin-assisted smoking cessation treatment: A pilot study. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 140, e66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.200
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Mystical Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin Lead to Increases in the Personality Domain of Openness

September 28, 2011 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Mystical experiences, Papers, Personality, Psychology, Publications, Spirituality / By / , ,

Abstract

A large body of evidence, including longitudinal analyses of personality change, suggests that core personality traits are predominantly stable after age 30. To our knowledge, no study has demonstrated changes in personality in healthy adults after an experimentally manipulated discrete event. Intriguingly, double-blind controlled studies have shown that the classic hallucinogen psilocybin occasions personally and spiritually significant mystical experiences that predict long-term changes in behaviors, attitudes and values. In the present report we assessed the effect of psilocybin on changes in the five broad domains of personality – Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Consistent with participant claims of hallucinogen-occasioned increases in aesthetic appreciation, imagination, and creativity, we found significant increases in Openness following a high-dose psilocybin session. In participants who had mystical experiences during their psilocybin session, Openness remained significantly higher than baseline more than 1 year after the session. The findings suggest a specific role for psilocybin and mystical-type experiences in adult personality change.

MacLean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2011). Mystical Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin Lead to Increases in the Personality Domain of Openness. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25(11), 1453-1461. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881111420188
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Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects

June 15, 2011 / Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Mystical experiences, Papers, Personality, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Publications, Safety, Spirituality / By / , , , , ,

Abstract

Rationale: This dose-effect study extends previous observations showing that psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior.

Objectives: This double-blind study evaluated psilocybin (0, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg/70 kg, p.o.) administered under supportive conditions.

Methods: Participants were 18 adults (17 hallucinogennaïve). Five 8-h sessions were conducted individually for each participant at 1-month intervals. Participants were randomized to receive the four active doses in either ascending or descending order (nine participants each). Placebo was scheduled quasi-randomly. During sessions, volunteers used eyeshades and were instructed to direct their attention inward. Volunteers completed questionnaires assessing effects immediately after and 1 month after each session, and at 14 months follow-up.

Results: Psilocybin produced acute perceptual and subjective effects including, at 20 and/or 30 mg/70 kg, extreme anxiety/fear (39% of volunteers) and/or mystical-type experience (72% of volunteers). One month after sessions at the two highest doses, volunteers rated the psilocybin experience as having substantial personal and spiritual significance, and attributed to the experience sustained positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior, with the ascending dose sequence showing greater positive effects. At 14 months, ratings were undiminished and were consistent with changes rated by community observers. Both the acute and persisting effects of psilocybin were generally a monotonically increasing function of dose, with the lowest dose showing significant effects.

Conclusions: Under supportive conditions, 20 and 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences having persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior. Implications for therapeutic trials are discussed.

Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., Richards, B. D., McCann, U., & Jesse, R. (2011). Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology, 218(4), 649-665. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2358-5
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