People diagnosed with non-affective psychotic disorders who used psychedelics reported a mix of positive and negative effects. Common challenges during the acute experience included transient anxiety, sometimes leading to brief hospitalizations. Some participants described psychosis-specific experiences such as reduced self-stigma and insight into their hallucinations and delusions. Perceived long-term benefits varied widely, with some reporting lasting positive changes and others noting negative effects or no lasting impact. The findings suggest psychedelics may pose both risks and potential benefits for this population, highlighting the need for careful safety trials.
Interviews with 19 people diagnosed with non-affective psychotic disorders who had used psychedelics revealed that, while some similarities exist in altered thinking and meaning attribution, most participants reported that psychedelic experiences did not closely resemble their psychosis. Sensory alterations, emotional experience, sense of control, and self-experience were points of contrast. When asked which drug most resembled their psychotic symptoms, the majority endorsed cannabis, followed by dissociative anesthetics and stimulants. The findings suggest that psychedelics may not accurately model many symptoms of psychosis and that interpreting psychedelic experiences as broadly psychosis-like may be misleading.