Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating various psychological conditions, and increased empathic functioning may be one mechanism behind its clinical effects. Neuropsychological and clinical evidence suggests that psychedelics can enhance empathy through actions on the 5-HT system, default mode network, neural connectivity, and ego dissolution. These changes in empathy are likely linked to well-documented increases in the personality trait of openness following psychedelic use. Enhanced empathic function may have clinical benefits by fostering greater social connectedness and promoting prosocial attitudes and behaviors.
People who microdose psychedelics report similar improvements in psychological wellbeing, openness, and absorption as people who practice yoga. In a survey of 339 adults, both the yoga-only and microdose-only groups scored higher on wellbeing and absorption than a control group. Those who both microdosed and practiced yoga had the lowest depression scores (lower than the microdose-only group) and the lowest anxiety scores (lower than the yoga-only group), and they also had the highest absorption scores. The control group scored significantly lower on openness than all other groups. The findings suggest that microdosing and yoga may have comparable subjective effects and that combining both could be especially beneficial, although the study cannot establish causation.