Exploring self-reported health behavior change following naturalistic psychedelic use
Journal of Health Psychology December 31, 2025 Laura C. Carvalho, Jorge Encantado, Arlen C. Moller et al.
Psychedelic experiences may help people adopt healthier behaviors, according to a survey of 271 adults. Participants reported changes across 74 behaviors after their most impactful psychedelic experience. The most common changes were increases in contemplative practices (63%), time spent in nature (55%), and personally meaningful social activities (54%). Most changes were in a healthy direction. Higher perceived meaningfulness of the experience and having a set intention beforehand were significantly associated with overall healthy change. The study cannot establish causality but suggests that intention and meaningfulness are candidate mechanisms for how psychedelics might facilitate positive behavior change.