Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness
- PMID: 21956378
- PMCID: PMC3537171
- DOI: 10.1177/0269881111420188
Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness
Abstract
A large body of evidence, including longitudinal analyses of personality change, suggests that core personality traits are predominantly stable after age 30. To our knowledge, no study has demonstrated changes in personality in healthy adults after an experimentally manipulated discrete event. Intriguingly, double-blind controlled studies have shown that the classic hallucinogen psilocybin occasions personally and spiritually significant mystical experiences that predict long-term changes in behaviors, attitudes and values. In the present report we assessed the effect of psilocybin on changes in the five broad domains of personality - Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Consistent with participant claims of hallucinogen-occasioned increases in aesthetic appreciation, imagination, and creativity, we found significant increases in Openness following a high-dose psilocybin session. In participants who had mystical experiences during their psilocybin session, Openness remained significantly higher than baseline more than 1 year after the session. The findings suggest a specific role for psilocybin and mystical-type experiences in adult personality change.
Figures
![Figure 1](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/3537171/bin/nihms-430337-f0001.gif)
![Figure 2](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/3537171/bin/nihms-430337-f0002.gif)
![Figure 3](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/3537171/bin/nihms-430337-f0003.gif)
Similar articles
-
Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later.J Psychopharmacol. 2008 Aug;22(6):621-32. doi: 10.1177/0269881108094300. Epub 2008 Jul 1. J Psychopharmacol. 2008. PMID: 18593735 Free PMC article.
-
Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects.Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2011 Dec;218(4):649-65. doi: 10.1007/s00213-011-2358-5. Epub 2011 Jun 15. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2011. PMID: 21674151 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Effects of psilocybin therapy on personality structure.Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2018 Nov;138(5):368-378. doi: 10.1111/acps.12904. Epub 2018 Jun 19. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2018. PMID: 29923178 Free PMC article.
-
Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences.Hum Psychopharmacol. 2020 Sep;35(5):e2742. doi: 10.1002/hup.2742. Epub 2020 Jun 23. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2020. PMID: 32573835 Review.
-
Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates.Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2018;36:393-430. doi: 10.1007/7854_2017_474. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2018. PMID: 28401522 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Effect of MDMA-assisted therapy on mood and anxiety symptoms in advanced-stage cancer (EMMAC): study protocol for a double-blind, randomised controlled trial.Trials. 2024 May 21;25(1):336. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08174-x. Trials. 2024. PMID: 38773523 Free PMC article.
-
Chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex system and the potential roles of psychedelic therapies.Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2024 Apr 19;5:1346053. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1346053. eCollection 2024. Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2024. PMID: 38706873 Free PMC article.
-
Personality traits explain the relationship between psychedelic use and less depression in a comparative study.Sci Rep. 2024 May 3;14(1):10195. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60890-1. Sci Rep. 2024. PMID: 38702496 Free PMC article.
-
A Critical View on New and Future Antidepressants.Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2024 May 31;22(2):201-210. doi: 10.9758/cpn.23.1145. Epub 2024 Feb 15. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2024. PMID: 38627068 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Psychedelics and the 'inner healer': Myth or mechanism?J Psychopharmacol. 2024 May;38(5):417-424. doi: 10.1177/02698811241239206. Epub 2024 Apr 12. J Psychopharmacol. 2024. PMID: 38605658 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
References
-
- Bouchard TJ, Jr., Lykken DT, McGue M, et al. Sources of human psychological differences: the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart. Science. 1990;250:223–228. - PubMed
-
- Cloninger CR. Temperament and personality. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 1994;4:266–273. - PubMed
-
- Costa PT, Jr., Bagby RM, Herbst JH, et al. Personality self-reports are concurrently reliable and valid during acute depressive episodes. J Affect Disord. 2005;89:45–55. - PubMed
-
- Costa PT, Jr., Herbst JH, McCrae RR, et al. Personality at midlife: stability, intrinsic maturation, and response to life events. Assessment. 2000;7:365–378. - PubMed
-
- Costa PT, Jr., McCrae RR. Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) Professional Manual. Psychological Assessment Resources; Odessa, FL: 1992.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources