Psychedelics as Catalysts of Spiritual Development

The Beckley Foundation

The experience of self-transcendence and oneness with the universe, also known as ‘ego dissolution’, is a key feature of the psychedelic experience and is frequently reported by research participants, who often described their participation in studies as one of the most personally significant and spiritually meaningful experiences of their lives. Through these so-called ‘peak’ experiences, psychedelics appear to hit a ‘reset button’ allowing people to shift the trajectory of their lives, with great potential for positive changes in mood, wellbeing, and personality and long-lasting therapeutic benefit.

Throughout human history, psychedelics have been strongly interconnected with spirituality. Psychedelic plants and fungi have been used…