CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 98Psychedelics and Drug StudiesParanormal Experiences and BeliefsReligion, Spirituality, and Psychology

Values and Beliefs of Psychedelic Drug Users: A Cross-Cultural Study

Lerner, Michael, Lyvers, Michael·2006·Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
DOI 10.1080/02791072.2006.10399838
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin are often claimed to be capable of inducing life-changing experiences described as mystical or transcendental, especially if high doses are taken. The present study examined possible enduring effects of such experiences by comparing users of psychedelic drugs (n = 88), users of nonpsychedelic illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, amphetamines) (n = 29) and non illicit drug-using social drinkers (n = 66) on questionnaire measures of values, beliefs and emotional empathy. Samples were obtained from Israel (n = 110) and Australia (n = 73) in a cross-cultural comparison to see if values associated with psychedelic drug use transcended culture of origin. Psychedelic users scored significantly higher on mystical beliefs (e.g., oneness with God and the universe) and life values of spirituality and concern for others than the other groups, and lower on the value of financial prosperity, irrespective of culture of origin. Users of nonpsychedelic illegal drugs scored significantly lower on a measure of coping ability than both psychedelic users and non illicit drug users. Both groups of illegal drug users scored significantly higher on empathy than non illicit drug users. Results are discussed in the context of earlier findings from Pahnke (1966) and Doblin (1991) of the transformative effect of psychedelic experiences, although the possibility remains that present findings reflect predrug characteristics of those who chose to take psychedelic drugs rather than effects of the drugs themselves.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1080/02791072.2006.10399838

Cites

19 of 19 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • During the 1960s, psychedelics were often associated with practices like meditation and mysticism, reflecting an early recognition of their synergistic potential.

    “During 1960s, when psychedelics gained popularity, they were often associated with practices like meditation and mysticism, reflecting an early recognition of their synergistic potential [11].”

    From Mindfulness meditation and psychedelics: potential synergies and commonalities (2023) · cites this paper as [11]

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 20 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Lerner, M., & Lyvers, M.
Affiliations
Bond University (AU)
ORCID
Lyvers, Michael
Venue
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2006-06
Volume
38
Issue
2
Pages
143-147
ISSN
  • 0279-1072 (ISSN-L)
  • 2159-9777
DOI
10.1080/02791072.2006.10399838
OpenAlex
W2081793457
Cited by
98
References
20
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 4
FWCI
0.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • e-publications@bond (Bond University) (submittedVersion)
  • Bond University Research Portal (Bond University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
  • Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
Keywords
psychedelic drug use, LSD, psilocybin, mystical experience, transcendental experience, values, belief, spirituality, empathy, coping capacity, cross-cultural comparison, Israel, Australia, cannabis, amphetamine, social drinkers
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Australia, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Culture, Hallucinogens, Humans, Israel, Middle Aged, Social Values, Health Behavior, Substance-Related Disorders

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review