Psychedelic drug use in healthy individuals: a review of benefits, costs, and implications for drug policy
Open accessAbstract
The potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of mental health problems is increasingly being recognized. However, relatively little thrust has been given to the suggestion that individuals without any mental health problems may benefit from using psychedelic drugs, and that they may have a right to do so. This review considers contemporary research into the use of psychedelic drugs in healthy individuals, including neurobiological and subjective effects. In line with findings suggesting positive effects in the treatment of mental health problems, such research highlights the potential of psychedelic drugs for the enhancement of wellbeing even in healthy individuals. The relatively low risk associated with usage does not appear to align with stringent drug laws that impose heavy penalties for their use. Some policy implications, and suggestions for future research, are considered.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
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?
Psychedelics have repeatedly produced enhancements in well-being in healthy individuals, including enhanced mood, altruistic behaviour and prosociality, as well as significant decreases in clinical symptomatology.
“Psychedelics have also been shown to repeatedly produce enhancements in well-being in healthy individuals, giving rise to effects such as enhanced mood, altruistic behaviour and prosociality, as well as significant decreases in clinical symptomatology (39–41).”
From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
In “Effects of psychedelic drugs in healthy individuals” (page unavailable), the review reports improved mood and well-being in healthy participants and more prosocial choices in an LSD study. It does not report significant decreases in clinical symptomatology among healthy individuals; its discussion of symptom improvement concerns patients with mental health conditions. The claim also states repeated benefits more firmly than the review’s conclusion that psychedelics have the potential to improve well-being. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
A default mode of brain function
Raichle, M. E., MacLeod, A. M., Snyder, A. Z., Powers, W. J., Gusnard, D. A., & Shulman, G. L. (2001) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.98.2.676 · Cited by 12,190 · see citing works
FRANKL, V. E. (1946) · Cited by 3,910 · see citing works
A default mode of brain function: a brief history of an evolving idea
Raichle, M. E., & Snyder, A. Z. (2007) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.02.041 · Cited by 2,173 · see citing works
Pessoa, L., & Adolphs, R. (2010) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2920 · Cited by 1,794 · see citing works
Journal of Transpersonal Psychology
(1977) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/002216787701700308 · Cited by 1,740 · see citing works
Ross, S., Bossis, A., Guss, J., Agin-Liebes, G., Malone, T., Cohen, B., Mennenga, S. E., Belser, A., Kalliontzi, K., Babb, J., et al. (2016) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881116675512 · Cited by 1,698 · see citing works
Griffiths, R. R., Richards, W. A., McCann, U., & Jesse, R. (2006) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5 · Cited by 1,684 · see citing works
Bunney, W. E., Hippius, H., Laakmann, G., & Schmauß, M. (1990) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-74034-3 · Cited by 1,523 · see citing works
Daselaar, S. M. (2009) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/neuro.09.013.2009 · Cited by 1,501 · see citing works
Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse
Nutt, D., King, L. A., Saulsbury, W., & Blakemore, C. (2007) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)60464-4 · Cited by 1,302 · cited 3× · see citing works
“However, the current scientific consensus is that classic psychedelic drugs do not have addictive properties (Bonson, 2012; Nutt et al., 2007).”
BackgroundCarhart-Harris, R. L., Leech, R., Hellyer, P. J., Shanahan, M., Feilding, A., Tagliazucchi, E., Chialvo, D. R., & Nutt, D. (2014) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00020 · Cited by 1,252 · see citing works
Nichols, D. E. (2004) · Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2003.11.002 · Cited by 1,211 · see citing works
Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer
Grob, C. S., Danforth, A. L., Chopra, G. S., Hagerty, M., McKay, C. R., Halberstadt, A. L., & Greer, G. R. (2011) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.116 · Cited by 1,206 · see citing works
Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Williams, T., Stone, J. M., Reed, L. J., Colasanti, A., Tyacke, R. J., Leech, R., Malizia, A. L., Murphy, K., et al. (2012) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1119598109 · Cited by 1,172 · see citing works
Griffiths, R., Richards, W., Johnson, M., McCann, U., & Jesse, R. (2008) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881108094300 · Cited by 905 · see citing works
MacLean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2011) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881111420188 · Cited by 895 · see citing works
Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Muthukumaraswamy, S., Roseman, L., Kaelen, M., Droog, W., Murphy, K., Tagliazucchi, E., Schenberg, E. E., Nest, T., Orban, C., et al. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1518377113 · Cited by 859 · see citing works
The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders
Vollenweider, F. X., & Kometer, M. (2010) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2884 · Cited by 723 · see citing works
Evidence for 5-HT2 involvement in the mechanism of action of hallucinogenic agents
Glennon, R. A., Titeler, M., & MCKENNEY, J. D. J. (1984) · Life Sciences · doi:10.1016/0024-3205(84)90436-3 · Cited by 635 · see citing works
The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics.
Goodman, L., & Gilman, A. G. (1941) · Anesthesia & Analgesia · doi:10.1213/00000539-194101000-00064 · Cited by 604 · see citing works
Studerus, E., Kometer, M., Hasler, F., & Vollenweider, F. X. (2011) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881110382466 · Cited by 532 · cited 3× · see citing works
“These findings are in line with a pooled analysis of 110 healthy experimental participants who had received psilocybin (Studerus et al., 2011): strong feelings of dysphoria or panic were only observed when the highest doses were given in a small number of participants, and the psychedelic…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialIncreased global functional connectivity correlates with LSD-induced ego dissolution
Tagliazucchi, E., Roseman, L., Kaelen, M., Orban, C., Muthukumaraswamy, S. D., Murphy, K., Laufs, H., Leech, R., McGonigle, J., Crossley, N., et al. (2016) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.02.010 · Cited by 503 · see citing works
Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing and Hallucinogenic Powers
Hofmann, A., & Schultes, R. E. (1992) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 469 · see citing works
Palhano-Fontes, F., Andrade, K. C., Tofoli, L. F., Santos, A. C., Crippa, J. A. S., Hallak, J. E. C., Ribeiro, S., & de Araujo, D. B. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118143 · Cited by 454 · see citing works
Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin
Schartner, M. M., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Barrett, A. B., Seth, A. K., & Muthukumaraswamy, S. D. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep46421 · Cited by 410 · see citing works
Acute Effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Subjects
Schmid, Y., Enzler, F., Gasser, P., Grouzmann, E., Preller, K. H., Vollenweider, F. X., Brenneisen, R., Müller, F., Borgwardt, S., & Liechti, M. E. (2014) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.11.015 · Cited by 409 · see citing works
Preller, K. H., Herdener, M., Pokorny, T., Planzer, A., Kraehenmann, R., Stämpfli, P., Liechti, M. E., Seifritz, E., & Vollenweider, F. X. (2017) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.030 · Cited by 402 · see citing works
(2020) · doi:10.12788/acp · Cited by 401 · see citing works
Enhanced repertoire of brain dynamical states during the psychedelic experience
Tagliazucchi, E., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Leech, R., Nutt, D., & Chialvo, D. R. (2014) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.22562 · Cited by 399 · see citing works
Hendricks, P. S., Thorne, C. B., Clark, C. B., Coombs, D., & Johnson, M. W. (2015) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881114565653 · Cited by 360 · see citing works
Psychedelics and mental health: a population study
Krebs, T. S., & Johansen, P.-Ø. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063972 · Cited by 347 · see citing works
Effects of Schedule I drug laws on neuroscience research and treatment innovation
Nutt, D., King, L. A., & Nichols, D. E. (2013) · Nature reviews. Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn3530 · Cited by 338 · see citing works
LSD enhances suggestibility in healthy volunteers
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Kaelen, M., Whalley, M. G., Bolstridge, M., Feilding, A., & Nutt, D. J. (2015) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-014-3714-z · Cited by 320 · see citing works
LSD‐induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change
Lebedev, A. V., Kaelen, M., Lövdén, M., Nilsson, J., Feilding, A., Nutt, D. J., & Carhart‐Harris, R. L. (2016) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.23234 · Cited by 303 · see citing works
ADVERSE REACTIONS TO PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Strassman, R. (1984) · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/00005053-198410000-00001 · Cited by 280 · see citing works
Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study
Johansen, P.-Ø., & Krebs, T. (2015) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881114568039 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Dysfunctional Attitudes and 5-HT<sub>2</sub> Receptors During Depression and Self-Harm
Meyer, J. H., McMain, S., Kennedy, S. H., Korman, L., Brown, G. M., DaSilva, J. N., Wilson, A. A., Blak, T., Eynan-Harvey, R., Goulding, V. S., et al. (2003) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.160.1.90 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
Majić, T., Schmidt, T. T., & Gallinat, J. (2015) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881114568040 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered
Seelye, E. E. (1980) · American Journal of Psychotherapy · doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1980.34.4.593 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
LSD Acutely Impairs Fear Recognition and Enhances Emotional Empathy and Sociality
Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y., Müller, F., Borgwardt, S., & Liechti, M. E. (2016) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2016.82 · Cited by 247 · see citing works
Risk assessment of ritual use of oral dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala alkaloids.
Gable, R. S. (2007) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01652.x · Cited by 244 · see citing works
Frokjaer, V. G., Mortensen, E. L., Nielsen, F. Å., Haugbol, S., Pinborg, L. H., Adams, K. H., Svarer, C., Hasselbalch, S. G., Holm, S., Paulson, O. B., et al. (2008) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.07.009 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
Modern clinical research on LSD
Liechti, M. E. (2017) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2017.86 · Cited by 236 · see citing works
Serotonin and emotional processing: does it help explain antidepressant drug action?
Harmer, C. J. (2008) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2008.06.036 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
Bouso, J. C., Palhano-Fontes, F., Rodríguez-Fornells, A., Ribeiro, S., Sanches, R., Crippa, J. A. S., Hallak, J. E. C., de Araujo, D. B., & Riba, J. (2015) · European Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.01.008 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
The globalization of ayahuasca: harm reduction or benefit maximization?
Tupper, K. W. (2008) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2006.11.001 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered
Grinspoon, L., & Bakalar, J. B. (1979) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 199 · see citing works
Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in humans
Liechti, M. E., Dolder, P. C., & Schmid, Y. (2017) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4453-0 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Psychological and Cognitive Effects of Long-Term Peyote Use Among Native Americans
Halpern, J. H., Sherwood, A. R., Hudson, J. I., Yurgelun-Todd, D. A., & Pope, H. G. (2005) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.06.038 · Cited by 187 · see citing works
Dreamlike effects of LSD on waking imagery in humans depend on serotonin 2A receptor activation
Krähenmann, R., Pokorný, D., Vollenweider, L., Preller, K. H., Pokorny, T., Seifritz, E., & Vollenweider, F. X. (2017) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-017-4610-0 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Listening to Prozac - A psychiatrist explores antidepressant drugs and the remaking of the self
Krämer, P. (1994) · DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) · Cited by 171 · see citing works
PAHNKE'S "GOOD FRIDAY EXPERIMENT' A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AND METHODOLOGICAL CRITIQUE
Doblin, R. (1991) · Cited by 163 · see citing works
LSD enhances the emotional response to music
Kaelen, M., Barrett, F. S., Roseman, L., Lorenz, R., Family, N., Bolstridge, M., Curran, H. V., Feilding, A., Nutt, D., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2015) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-015-4014-y · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Nettl, B. (1956) · Harvard University Press eBooks · doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674863408 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
The psychedelic mystical experience in the human encounter with death
Pahnke, W. N. (1969) · Harvard Theological Review · doi:10.1017/s0017816000027577 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Ayahuasca and the process of regulation in Brazil and internationally: Implications and challenges
Labate, B. C., & Feeney, K. (2012) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2011.06.006 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Kohn, B., & Hofmann, A. (1981) · The Antioch Review · doi:10.2307/4638477 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca
Labate, B. C., & Cavnar, C. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-40426-9 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Psychedelic Agents in Creative Problem-Solving: A Pilot Study
Harman, W. W., McKim, R. H., Mogar, R. E., Fadiman, J., & Stolaroff, M. J. (1966) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1966.19.1.211 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Acute effects of LSD on amygdala activity during processing of fearful stimuli in healthy subjects
Müller, F., Lenz, C., Dolder, P. C., Harder, S., Schmid, Y., Lang, U. E., Liechti, M. E., & Borgwardt, S. (2017) · Translational Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/tp.2017.54 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
The Internationalization of Ayahuasca
MacRae, E. (2012) · Journal of Contemporary Religion · doi:10.1080/13537903.2012.722324 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
dos Santos, R. G., Balthazar, F. M., Bouso, J. C., & Hallak, J. E. (2016) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881116652578 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Over 30 million psychedelic users in the United States
Krebs, T. S., & Johansen, P.-Ø. (2013) · F1000Research · doi:10.12688/f1000research.2-98.v1 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Listening to Prozac: A Psychiatrist Explores Antidepressant Drugs and the Remaking of the Self
Salzman, C. (1994) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.151.4.610 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Is it time to revisit the role of psychedelic drugs in enhancing human creativity?
Sessa, B. (2008) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/0269881108091597 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Anderson, W. R., & Nettl, B. (1957) · The Musical Times · doi:10.2307/937001 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Bruhn, J. G., Smet, P. A. G. M. D., El-Seedi, H. R., & Beck, O. (2002) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(02)08701-9 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Can psychedelics have a role in psychiatry once again?
Sessa, B. (2005) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.186.6.457 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Frecska, E., Móré, C. E., Vargha, A., & Luna, L. E. (2012) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2012.703099 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Yamauchi, M., Miyara, T., Matsushima, T., & Imanishi, T. (2005) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2005.10.075 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Buckholtz, N. S., Zhou, D.-F., Freedman, D. X., & Potter, W. Z. (1990) · PubMed · Cited by 80 · see citing works
The Use of Hallucinogens in the Treatment of Addiction
Halpern, J. H. (1996) · Addiction Research & Theory · doi:10.3109/16066359609010756 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Antidepressants for neuroenhancement in healthy individuals: a systematic review
Repantis, D., Schlattmann, P., Laisney, O., & Heuser, I. (2008) · Poiesis & Praxis · doi:10.1007/s10202-008-0060-4 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Can psychedelic compounds play a part in drug dependence therapy?
Sessa, B., & Johnson, M. W. (2015) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.114.148031 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
LSD, spirituality and the creative process
de Ríos, M. D. (2003) · PsycEXTRA Dataset · doi:10.1037/e719312011-004 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Psychedelics and cognitive liberty: Reimagining drug policy through the prism of human rights
Walsh, C. (2016) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.12.025 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
The effects of psychedelic (LSD) therapy on values, personality, and behavior.
Savage, C., Fadiman, J., Mogar, R. E., & Allen, M. H. (1966) · PubMed · Cited by 33 · see citing works
A Public-Health-Based Vision for the Management and Regulation of Psychedelics
Haden, M., Emerson, B., & Tupper, K. W. (2016) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2016.1202459 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Ilieva, I. P. (2014) · Neuroethics · doi:10.1007/s12152-014-9226-z · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Drugs and human rights: private palliatives, sacramental freedoms and cognitive liberty
Walsh, C. (2010) · The International Journal of Human Rights · doi:10.1080/13642980802704270 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Ethics of Pharmacological Mood Enhancement
Schermer, M. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4707-4_90 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Entheogens and the future of religion
(1997) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.35-0231 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Bonson, K. R. (2012) · Encyclopedia of Life Sciences · doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0000166.pub2 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Drugs prohibition is criminals’ gain, neuroscience’s loss
Groß, M. (2013) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.07.012 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Boulos, N., Davis, M. C., Hedrick, R., Althauser, S., Collison, K. L., & IsHak, W. W. (2015) · Annals of Clinical Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/104012371502700309 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 8
- Adelaars A (2001) Court case in Holland against the use of ayahuasca by the Dutch Santo Daime Church. Journal of Clandestine Laboratory Investigating Chemists Association 11(3): 12.
- Boire RG (2001) On cognitive liberty. The Journal of Cognitive Liberties 2(1): 7-22.
- dos Santos RG and Strassman RJ (2011) Ayahuasca and psychosis. British Journal of Psychiatry (eLetter), 3 December. Available at: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/ 190/1/81.2.e-letters#ayahuasca-and-psychosis (accessed 9 January 2017).
- Meyer JH, McMain S, Kennedy SH, et al. (2003) Dysfunctional attitudes and 5-HT2 receptors during depression and self-harm. American Journal of Psychiatry 160(1): 90-99.
- Narby J (2002) Shamans and scientists. In: Grob CS (ed.) Hallucinogens: A Reader. New York, NY: Putnam, pp.159-163.
- Pahnke WN (1963) Drugs and mysticism: An analysis of the relationship between psychedelic drugs and the mystical con- sciousness: A thesis. PhD Thesis, Harvard University.
- Rohde SA and Sander H (2011) The development of the legal situation of Santo Daime in Germany. In: Labate BC and Jungaberle H (eds) The Internationalization of Ayahuasca. Mu¨nster: LIT Verlag, pp.339-352.
- Sandberg R (2011) Judging Religious Drug use: The Misuse of the Definition of ''Religion''. In: Labate BC and Jungaberle H (eds) The Internationalization of Ayahuasca. Zurich, Switzerland: Lit Verlag, pp.389-401.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Predicting responses to psychedelics: a prospective study
Haijen, E. C. H. M., Kaelen, M., Roseman, L., Timmermann, C., Kettner, H., Russ, S., Nutt, D., Daws, R. E., Hampshire, A. D. G., Lorenz, R., et al. (2018) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00897 · Cited by 417 · see citing works
The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin
Lowe, H. I. C., Toyang, N., Steele, B., Valentine, H., Grant, J. F., Ali, A., Ngwa, W., & Gordon, L. (2021) · Molecules · doi:10.3390/molecules26102948 · Cited by 206 · see citing works
A systematic study of microdosing psychedelics
Polito, V., & Stevenson, R. J. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211023 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Psychedelic harm reduction and integration: A transtheoretical model for clinical practice
Gorman, I., Nielson, E. M., Molinar, A., Cassidy, K., & Sabbagh, J. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645246 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Positive psychology in the investigation of psychedelics and entactogens: a critical review
Jungaberle, H., Thal, S., Zeuch, A., Rougemont-Bücking, A., von Heyden, M., Aicher, H., & Scheidegger, M. (2018) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.06.034 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Mans, K., Kettner, H., Erritzøe, D., Haijen, E. C. H. M., Kaelen, M., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.647909 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Eleftheriou, M. E., & Thomas, E. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.707057 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Current Perspective on the Therapeutic Preset for Substance-Assisted Psychotherapy
Thal, S. B., Bright, S. J., Sharbanee, J. M., Wenge, T., & Skeffington, P. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.617224 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Frymann, T., Whitney, S., Yaden, D. B., & Lipson, J. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.863247 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Psilocybin occasioned mystical‐type experiences
James, E., Robertshaw, T., Hoskins, M., & Sessa, B. (2020) · Human psychopharmacology · doi:10.1002/hup.2742 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Thal, S. B., Baker, P., Marinis, J., Wieberneit, M., Sharbanee, J. M., Bruno, R., Skeffington, P., & Bright, S. J. (2023) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.2945 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Tripping over the other: Could psychedelics increase empathy?
Blatchford, E., Bright, S. J., & Engel, L. B. (2020) · Journal of Evolutionary Psychology · doi:10.1556/2054.2020.00136 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Psychedelics and mindfulness: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Radakovic, C., Radaković, R., Peryer, G., & Geere, J. (2022) · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · doi:10.1556/2054.2022.00218 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Psychedelic-assisted therapies: The past, and the need to move forward responsibly
Gardner, J., Carter, A., O’Brien, K., & Seear, K. (2019) · International Journal of Drug Policy · doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.05.019 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Hübner, S., Haijen, E. C. H. M., Kaelen, M., Carhart-Harris, R. L., & Kettner, H. (2021) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/25973 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Aixalà, M., Oña, G., Parés, Ò., & Bouso, J. C. (2019) · Drugs Education Prevention and Policy · doi:10.1080/09687637.2019.1611739 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Mystical experiences without mysticism: An argument for mystical fictionalism in psychedelics
Armour‐Garb, B., & Earleywine, M. (2022) · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · doi:10.1556/2054.2022.00207 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
A Systematic Study of Microdosing PsychedelicsPreprint
Polito, V., & Stevenson, R. J. (2018) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/cw9qs · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Altered States of Consciousness During Ceremonial San Pedro Use
Bohn, A., Kiggen, M. H. H., Uthaug, M. V., van Oorsouw, K. I. M., Ramaekers, J. G., & van Schie, H. T. (2022) · International Journal for the Psychology of Religion · doi:10.1080/10508619.2022.2139502 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
The potential of psilocybin use to enhance well-being in healthy individuals – A scoping review
Wiepking, L., de Bruin, E. J., & Ghiţă, A. (2023) · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · doi:10.1556/2054.2023.00244 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Aronov, M. (2019) · Ethnologie française · doi:10.3917/ethn.194.0701 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Elmer, T., Vannoy, T. K., Studerus, E., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-51355-6 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“Ontological shocks”: new transformations for sustainability through psychedelic tourism
Coghlan, A., & Prayag, G. (2025) · Journal of Sustainable Tourism · doi:10.1080/09669582.2025.2493313 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Korman, B. A. (2023) · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · doi:10.1556/2054.2023.00246 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Korman, B. A. (2023) · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · doi:10.1556/2054.2022.00240 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Hupli, A., Didžiokaitė, G., & Ydema, M. (2019) · Contemporary Drug Problems · doi:10.1177/0091450919884777 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Research Handbook on International Drug Policy
Shortis, P., Aldridge, J. A., & Barratt, M. J. (2020) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781788117067 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
User perceptions of long-term costs and benefits of MDMA use: findings from a large online sample
Elsey, J. W. B., Wuestman, V. A. F., & Fieten, A. (2023) · Drugs Education Prevention and Policy · doi:10.1080/09687637.2023.2284643 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Self-citationSabucedo, P., Andión, O., Neimeyer, R. A., Soto-Angona, O., Javkin, J., Haro, J. M., Farré, M., & González, D. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1484736 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
The Rising Use of LSD among Business Managers
Korman, B. A. (2023) · Substance Use & Misuse · doi:10.1080/10826084.2023.2267105 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Psychedelics and Mindfulness: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPreprint
Radakovic, C., Radaković, R., Peryer, G., & Geere, J. (2021) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/yu7jf · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Tully, J. L., Forshaw, M. J., Hall, M., & Montgomery, C. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-6771-1_1 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
James, E., Robertshaw, T. L., Pascoe, M. J., Chapman, F., Westwell, A. D., & Smith, A. P. (2019) · Drug Science Policy and Law · doi:10.1177/2050324519876123 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
A psilocybin haven: the use of comparison to legitimate transgression at a psychedelic retreat
Dunell, J. (2024) · Drugs Education Prevention and Policy · doi:10.1080/09687637.2024.2412636 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Tsupari, M., Hellman, M., & Tammi, T. (2025) · Contemporary Drug Problems · doi:10.1177/00914509241310766 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
How Psychedelics Can Increase Moral Concern
Dillion, D., Puryear, C., & Gray, K. J. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192844064.013.22 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Jevtić, M. (2025) · Engrami · doi:10.5937/engrami47-57385 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
From Science to Pleasure: Justifications of the Use of Classic Psychedelics in Finland
Tsupari, M., & Hupli, A. (2025) · Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs · doi:10.1177/14550725251408251 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Schäfer, T., & Kreuzburg, P. (2022) · European Journal of Psychology Open · doi:10.1024/2673-8627/a000033 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Nilendu, D. (2024) · Clinical Pathology & Research Journal · doi:10.23880/cprj-16000177 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Do undergraduates’ views of psychedelics relate to the context for psychedelic use?
Petrovitch, D., Allen, J. V., Mitchell, S. M., & Littlefield, A. K. (2025) · Drug Science Policy and Law · doi:10.1177/20503245241308747 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Kähönen, J. (2020) · Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja · Cited by 1 · see citing works
A Needs Assessment of Older Hispanics in Omaha, Nebraska
DiMartino, D. R. (1979) · DigitalCommons@UNO · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Virgilio, V. D., Minerbi, A., Fletcher, J., Virgilio, A. D., Aggerwal, S., Sheen, L., Deol, J. K., & Gupta, G. (2023) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2023.02.12.23285814 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Orlowski, P., Ruban, A., Szczypiński, J., Hobot, J., Bielecki, M., & Bola, M. (2021) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/k4xfg
Psychedelic Drugs and Personality
Elsey, J. W. B., & Vossoughi, L. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_2306
Self-citationPsychedelic Drugs and Personality
Elsey, J. W. B., & Vossoughi, L. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_2306-1
Self-citationVirgilio, V. D., Minerbi, A., Deol, J. K., Aggerwal, S., Safi, T., & Gupta, G. (2023) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2023.05.10.23289787
Kerna, N. A., Pruitt, K. D., Carsrud, N. D. V., Kadivi, K., Ngwu, D. C., Holets, H. M., Flores, J. V., Nnake, I., Azi, C. I., Anderson, J., et al. (2024) · European Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences · doi:10.59324/ejahss.2024.1(3).10
Petrovitch, D., Mitchell, S. M., Allen, J. V., & Littlefield, A. K. (2024) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/adnpg
The role of parent’s commitment in preventing drug abuse: Evidence from high-risk areas of Malaysia
Abdullah, S. S., Sa’at, N. H., Mustapa, K., & Sanusi, N. A. (2024) · Humanities and Social Sciences Letters · doi:10.18488/73.v12i3.3812
Ferreira, A. S. M., Martindale, S., & Luke, D. P. (2024) · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · doi:10.1556/2054.2024.00368
Changes over time in hallucinogen‐related emergency department visits in Ontario, Canada
Myran, D. T., MacDonald‐Spracklin, R., Levesque, A. R., Pugliese, M., Fiedorowicz, J. G., McDonald, A. J., Rosenblat, J. D., Colman, I., Zein, J., & Solmi, M. (2026) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.70363
Mano‐Sousa, B. J., Fontes, M. C. G., Gonçalves, A. A., Galduróz, J. C. F., & Duarte‐Almeida, J. M. (2026) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2026.2661580
Laborde, S., Falchi-Carvalho, M., Maia, L. O., Tullman, S., Barros, H., de Lima-Araujo, G. L., Bolcont, R., Wießner, I., Coelho, N. L. G., Palhano-Fontes, F., et al. (2026) · European Journal of Integrative Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2026.102773
- Authors
- Elsey, J. W. B.
- Affiliations
- Roeterseilandcampus – gebouw G, the Netherlands
- Corresponding author
- Elsey, James W.B.
- ORCID
- Elsey, James W.B.
- Venue
- Drug Science Policy and Law
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 3
- ISSN
- 2050-3245 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2739110661
- Cited by
- 57
- References
- 85
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 5.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Drug Science Policy and Law (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
- Keywords
- psychedelics, healthy individuals, subjective effects, neurobiological effects, drug policy, drug law, psychotherapy
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
