Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review
The mystical experience is a potential psychological mechanism to influence outcome in psychedelic therapy. It includes features such as oceanic boundlessness, ego dissolution, and universal interconnectedness, which have been closely linked to both symptom reduction and improved quality of life. In...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.917199/full |
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| author | Kwonmok Ko Gemma Knight James J. Rucker James J. Rucker James J. Rucker Anthony J. Cleare Anthony J. Cleare Anthony J. Cleare |
| author_facet | Kwonmok Ko Gemma Knight James J. Rucker James J. Rucker James J. Rucker Anthony J. Cleare Anthony J. Cleare Anthony J. Cleare |
| author_sort | Kwonmok Ko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The mystical experience is a potential psychological mechanism to influence outcome in psychedelic therapy. It includes features such as oceanic boundlessness, ego dissolution, and universal interconnectedness, which have been closely linked to both symptom reduction and improved quality of life. In this review, 12 studies of psychedelic therapy utilizing psilocybin, ayahuasca, or ketamine were analyzed for association between mystical experience and symptom reduction, in areas as diverse as cancer-related distress, substance use disorder, and depressive disorders to include treatment-resistant. Ten of the twelve established a significant association of correlation, mediation, and/or prediction. A majority of the studies are limited, however, by their small sample size and lack of diversity (gender, ethnic, racial, educational, and socioeconomic), common in this newly re-emerging field. Further, 6 out of 12 studies were open-label in design and therefore susceptible to bias. Future studies of this nature should consider a larger sample size with greater diversity and thus representation by use of randomized design. More in-depth exploration into the nature of mystical experience is needed, including predictors of intensity, in order to maximize its positive effects on treatment outcome benefits and minimize concomitant anxiety.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42021261752. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:58:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-69120568daa74d1f95735f6ba4a87bf6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:58:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-69120568daa74d1f95735f6ba4a87bf62022-12-22T03:43:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-07-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.917199917199Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic ReviewKwonmok Ko0Gemma Knight1James J. Rucker2James J. Rucker3James J. Rucker4Anthony J. Cleare5Anthony J. Cleare6Anthony J. Cleare7Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United KingdomCentre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United KingdomCentre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United KingdomNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King's College London, London, United KingdomSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, United KingdomCentre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United KingdomNational Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King's College London, London, United KingdomSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, United KingdomThe mystical experience is a potential psychological mechanism to influence outcome in psychedelic therapy. It includes features such as oceanic boundlessness, ego dissolution, and universal interconnectedness, which have been closely linked to both symptom reduction and improved quality of life. In this review, 12 studies of psychedelic therapy utilizing psilocybin, ayahuasca, or ketamine were analyzed for association between mystical experience and symptom reduction, in areas as diverse as cancer-related distress, substance use disorder, and depressive disorders to include treatment-resistant. Ten of the twelve established a significant association of correlation, mediation, and/or prediction. A majority of the studies are limited, however, by their small sample size and lack of diversity (gender, ethnic, racial, educational, and socioeconomic), common in this newly re-emerging field. Further, 6 out of 12 studies were open-label in design and therefore susceptible to bias. Future studies of this nature should consider a larger sample size with greater diversity and thus representation by use of randomized design. More in-depth exploration into the nature of mystical experience is needed, including predictors of intensity, in order to maximize its positive effects on treatment outcome benefits and minimize concomitant anxiety.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42021261752.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.917199/fullpsychedelic therapymystical experiencepsilocybinayahuascaketaminecancer-related distress |
| spellingShingle | Kwonmok Ko Gemma Knight James J. Rucker James J. Rucker James J. Rucker Anthony J. Cleare Anthony J. Cleare Anthony J. Cleare Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychiatry psychedelic therapy mystical experience psilocybin ayahuasca ketamine cancer-related distress |
| title | Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review |
| title_full | Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review |
| title_fullStr | Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review |
| title_short | Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review |
| title_sort | psychedelics mystical experience and therapeutic efficacy a systematic review |
| topic | psychedelic therapy mystical experience psilocybin ayahuasca ketamine cancer-related distress |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.917199/full |
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