Of Roots and Fruits

Experiences of profound existential or spiritual significance can be triggered reliably through psychopharmacological means using psychedelic substances. However, little is known about the benefits of religious, spiritual, or mystical experiences (RSMEs) prompted by psychedelic substances, as compared with those that occur through other means. In this study, 739 self-selected participants reported the psychological impact of their RSMEs and indicated whether they were induced by a psychedelic substance. Experiences induced by psychedelic substances were rated as more intensely mystical (d = .75, p < .001), resulted in a reduced fear of death (d = .21, p < .01), increased 1University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA 2University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 3University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia 4New York University, New York, NY, USA 5Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA 6University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA Corresponding Author: David B. Yaden, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3701 Market Street Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Email: dyaden@sas.upenn.edu 674625 JHPXXX10.1177/0022167816674625Journal of Humanistic PsychologyYaden et al. research-article2016 2016 at Scott Memorial Library @ Thomas Jefferson University on October 25, jhp.sagepub.com Downloaded from 2 Journal of Humanistic Psychology sense of purpose (d = .18, p < .05), and increased spirituality (d = .28, p < .001) as compared with nonpsychedelically triggered RSMEs. These results remained significant in an expanded model controlling for gender, education, socioeconomic status, and religious affiliation. These findings lend support to the growing consensus that RSMEs induced with psychedelic substances are genuinely mystical and generally positive in outcome.