The relationship between psychedelic use, mystical experiences, and pro-environmental behaviors

Authors

Kelly Paterniti
Stephen Bright, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Eyal Gringart, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Journal of Humanistic Psychology

Publisher

Sage

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences / School of Arts and Humanities

RAS ID

45255

Comments

Paterniti, K., Bright, S., & Gringart, E. (2022). The relationship between psychedelic use, mystical experiences, and pro-environmental behaviors. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 00221678221111024. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678221111024

Abstract

Expanding on the work of Forstmann and Sagioglou, this study investigated the differences in personality and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) as a function of psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences. A sample of 240 participants with prior psychedelic experience completed an online survey. Data were collected on participants’ psychedelic-occasioned mystical states, personality, and self-reported PEB. A measure of behavioral PEB was also included (Charity Task). The mean scores on self-reported PEB, openness and agreeableness of participants who met the criteria for a “complete” mystical state, were significantly higher than those who did not. Specifically, those who experienced a mystical state scored higher on the PEB types “eco-shopping and eating” and “one-off domestic conservation actions.” Participants who demonstrated PEB in the Charity Task scored higher on self-reported PEB than those who did not, supporting the task’s validity. Findings suggest that mystical experiences influence PEB. Future research with experimental designs could further illuminate potential causal relationships.

DOI

10.1177/00221678221111024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.