Psychedelics alter beliefs, increasing spirituality and decreasing superstition

  • SOURCE ▸
    PUBLISHED
  • December 21, 2022
  • AUTHORS
  • BigThink
  • PUBLICATION
  • BigThink
  • TITLE
  • Psychedelics alter users’ beliefs about God, reality, and superstition
  • KEY TAKEAWAY
  • Psychedelics can alter beliefs about spirituality and consciousness, increasing belief in God and the afterlife while decreasing superstitious beliefs.

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that psychedelic drugs can significantly alter users' beliefs about spirituality, consciousness, and the meaning of life. The study surveyed over 2,300 individuals who reported belief-changing experiences with classic psychedelics such as DMT, LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline, or ayahuasca. The findings revealed that beliefs in dualism, spirituality, and consciousness changed the most after a single psychedelic experience. For example, belief in the existence of non-physical conscious entities, telepathy, and life after death doubled among participants. Additionally, beliefs in superstitions such as the number 13 being unlucky decreased after psychedelic use.The study also noted that the majority of participants reported that their psychedelic experience fundamentally altered their conception of reality. The percentage of participants identifying as a "Believer" in a higher power or God doubled from 29% to 59% after the experience.The researchers suggest that psychedelic drugs may relax high-level beliefs, unmask cognitive biases, and provide compelling experiences that contribute to belief changes. While the study has limitations, such as self-reporting bias and non-representative sample, it aligns with other recent research indicating that psychedelics can indeed alter metaphysical beliefs.

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