A new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers on the effects of psychedelics suggests that\u2014contrary to some earlier evidence\u2014a single psilocybin experience isn\u2019t likely to make an atheist believe in God or dispel someone\u2019s sense of free will. It may, however, inspire the belief that animals, plants or even objects like rocks and robots have some sort of consciousness.<\/p>\n
The study, published this month in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, surveyed hundreds of people who planned to use psilocybin in a non-laboratory setting, asking them about their beliefs both before and at two separate times after their experiences.<\/p>\n
While participants reported small differences in certain perceptions of consciousness after the psychedelic experiences\u2014being more likely to attribute consciousness to primates or insects, for example\u2014their religious and metaphysical beliefs didn\u2019t significantly change.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese findings suggest that concerns that psychedelics could change metaphysical beliefs or result in \u2018conversions\u2019 across religious affiliations may be overestimated,\u201d the study concludes, adding that \u201cconcerns related to changes in non-naturalistic beliefs or religious affiliation may be exaggerated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Authors wrote that the findings are relevant in addressing certain ethical concerns around the clinical applications of psychedelics, noting that changes in beliefs \u201cin the context of psychedelic clinical trials raise bioethical questions for many reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe observed increases in mind perception across a variety of living and non-living targets (e.g. plants, rocks). However, we found little to no change in metaphysical beliefs (e.g. dualism) or Atheist-Believer status.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nWe found that mind perception increased (for plants, insects, fungi, non-human primates, and four-legged animals), but that metaphysical beliefs were largely unchanged, as was identification as Atheist or Believer (e.g., in God, Ultimate Reality, etc.)<\/p>\n
5\/7 pic.twitter.com\/919C8t0toZ<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Sandeep Nayak (@sdpnayak) June 13, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\u201cFor some patients, such changes could be construed as a kind of personal harm,\u201d they explained. \u201cMoreover, these transformations have the capacity to significantly influence an individual\u2019s social ties and relationships. Finally, such changes may be of societal concern, for example with the possibility of fostering beliefs that are nonscientific beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe magnitude and persistence of these belief changes matter,\u201d the paper emphasizes, underscoring the weighty issues that some have worried could be influenced by broader use.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs psychedelic therapies move closer to possible approval for widespread use, the ramifications of mental health interventions with the potential to substantially change a person\u2019s belief system raises serious considerations about how and by whom they can be used appropriately,\u201d it says. \u201cFor instance, the possibility that psychedelic therapies could be used by individuals or organizations seeking to convert or otherwise coerce people into adopting particular worldviews (e.g., political or religious ideologies) clearly highlights the need for extraordinary caution in their implementation.\u201d<\/p>\n
To study the effects of psychedelics on beliefs in the new study, researchers asked 657 participants questions from three main categories: atheist\u2013believer status, metaphysical beliefs and mind perception. Respondents were surveyed when they consented to the study, two weeks before their planned psilocybin use, two to four weeks after the experience and again two to four three months after using the substance.<\/p>\n
Atheist\u2013believer status was the most straightforward, consisting of a single item: \u201cHow would you characterize your overall religious or spiritual belief system?\u201d People could identify as \u201cNon-believer (e.g., atheist); Agnostic; and Believer (e.g., in Ultimate Reality, Higher Power, and\/or God, etc.),\u201d with only one selection allowed.<\/p>\n
Overall, \u201cAtheist-Believer status showed no change,\u201d authors wrote, with only \u201cnegligible changes\u201d observed.<\/p>\n
Metaphysical beliefs, meanwhile, centered on ideas including materialism, dualism, idealism and determinism\u2014fundamental philosophical topics involving things like free will and the nature of consciousness itself. Participants were asked, for example, to rate how much they agreed or disagreed with the statement \u201cEverything that has ever happened had to happen precisely as it did, given what happened before.\u201d<\/p>\n
In that category, \u201cwe observed little to no changes,\u201d authors wrote, adding that\u00a0the findings \u201cprovide evidence that concerns around changes to such beliefs may have been inflated given the general lack of changes observed in the present study.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some differences, however, were seen in responses around mind perception, which attempted to measure users\u2019 beliefs about \u201cthe ability of various targets to have conscious experience,\u201d the study says. Those targets included \u201cfour species of mammals, five non-mammal objects\/entities, and one item about the universe as a whole.\u201d Examples included questions like \u201cI (the person taking the survey right now) am capable of having conscious experience,\u201d \u201cPlants (e.g., trees, flowers) are capable of having conscious experience\u201d and \u201cThe universe is conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n
In those areas, researchers \u201cobserved increases of moderate effect size in the attribution of consciousness to a range of targets\u201d:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe following targets showed significant increases of small effect size\u2026at both follow-up time points: non-human primates, quadrupeds, insects, fungi, plants, and inanimate man-made objects,\u201d the study says. \u201cOf these, the largest increases were apparent for attribution of consciousness to insects.\u201d<\/p>\n
It continues that a few items, \u201cincluding mind perception of inanimate natural objects (e.g., a rock), inanimate manmade (e.g., a robot), and the universe as a whole showed small, statistically significant effects at one time point but not the other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Authors acknowledge in the new report<\/a> that the findings don\u2019t necessarily mean psilocybin doesn\u2019t ever influence users\u2019 metaphysicial or religious beliefs, only that such changes aren\u2019t typical after a single experience.<\/p>\n
\nMetaphysical and atheistic beliefs may very well change, but it appears they don’t on average. Such changes may 1) be more likely in a subset of individuals, 2) rely on particular contextual factors, and\/or 3) tend to require multiple psychedelic experiences over time
7\/7<\/p>\n\u2014 Sandeep Nayak (@sdpnayak) June 13, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\u201cPsychedelics may cause such belief changes, but the present data suggest they do not occur on average in naturalistic use,\u201d they wrote of metaphysical belief changes. \u201cTo the extent that such belief changes do occur, they may 1) be more likely in a particular subset of individuals, 2) rely on particular contextual, and\/or 3) require multiple psychedelic experiences over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the findings challenge some earlier research about religious changes around psychedelics use, the mind perception findings echo those from earlier research, such as a 2022 report suggesting that people who use psychedelics like psilocybin are generally more connected to nature and knowledgable about climate change<\/a>\u2014traits that tend to translate into pro-environmental behavior.<\/p>\n
A 2020 study, meanwhile, reported what authors described as \u201ca strong relationship between the amount of lifetime use of psychedelics\u201d and participants\u2019 reported connection with nature<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nFeds Announce Plan To Fund Research On Using Psychedelics To Treat Chronic Pain In Older Adults<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Image courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
The post Psychedelic Mushrooms Won\u2019t Make You Believe In God, But They Might Make You Think Robots Are Conscious, Study Finds<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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