A new study published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology sheds light on the mechanism linking the use of psychedelics to improved mental health. The study found evidence of a phenomenon in which the use of psychedelics enhances spirituality, which in turn leads to improved emotional regulation. Improved emotional regulation is then associated with reduced levels of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
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The mechanism behind psychedelics and mental health
Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin and ayahuasca have been used for thousands of years in spiritual ceremonies in non-Western cultures. In recent years, psychedelics have attracted significant attention from Westerners, and scientific interest in the medicinal effects of these substances has resurfaced. While studies have begun to uncover therapeutic effects, the mechanism behind these effects remains largely a mystery. But that may be about to change.
Study authors Adele Lafrance and her colleagues say that heightened spirituality and improvements in emotion regulation are significant side effects of psychedelic use. The researchers proposed that the use of psychedelics may be linked to positive mental health through an enhanced spiritual connection, which in turn facilitates the regulation of emotions.
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Spirituality and Emotional Regulation
To test this hypothesis, they asked participants who received psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms or “magic mushrooms”), ayahuasca (a brew of two South American plants that produces psychedelic effects when consumed), or a placebo, to complete a self-reported survey on spirituality and emotion regulation. The participants reported their lifetime use of psychedelics and rated their spirituality. They also completed assessments of problems with emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
A total of 159 psychedelic users were surveyed for this study. 96% of them had used psilocybin in the past, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms and magic truffles. 33% of the participants had used more than one type of psychedelic. Using regression analyses, the researchers found that participants who used psychedelics more frequently reported greater spirituality, and that those with greater spirituality had fewer problems with emotion regulation.
They also found that participants with more difficulty regulating their emotions had higher scores for depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. In other words, participants with fewer problems with emotion regulation had better mental health.
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More and more promising psychedelic research
The study’s authors say their findings add to the existing evidence that psychedelics offer therapeutic benefits. “Our findings suggest that psychedelics can promote positive mental health through increased spirituality and emotion regulation,” says one of the researchers. “This study provides further support for the idea that psychedelics could be used as adjuncts to psychotherapy.”
However, there was also a caveat: the study was cross-sectional, which makes it difficult to infer causality between variables. They further point to the need to study more diverse groups regarding the effects of psychedelics.
