Journal of Humanistic Psychology
July 1, 1986
F. Goodman
21 citations
Experiments with student volunteers showed that adopting postures from religious rituals, such as those used in Pentecostal services, produced physical changes and self-reported experiences similar to those observed in religious altered states of consciousness. Earlier experiments had inconsistent results, which the author hypothesized was due to neglecting posture as a component. In five subsequent experimental series, ritual postures from ethnographic literature yielded striking agreement between ethnographic data and subjects' self-reports, while neutral control postures did not. The method allows investigation of religious altered states without relying on religious dogma.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
September 2, 2021
Cody Callon, Meris Williams, Adele Lafrance
20 citations
Ayahuasca ceremony leaders recommend that participants be honest, respectful, ready, and willing, and that they have internal and external resources before drinking. Complementary practices such as psychotherapy, spiritual and contemplative practices, and creative expression aid both preparation and integration. After ceremonies, sharing experiences and working with insights and lessons help integration, while some practices are considered ineffective. The findings align with other stakeholders' views on useful preparation and integration practices.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
March 1, 2022
David Luke
18 citations
This essay reviews ten types of anomalous experiences—synaesthesia, extra-dimensional percepts, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, entity encounters, alien abduction, sleep paralysis, interspecies communication, possession, and psi (telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis)—that occur both spontaneously and with psychedelic substances. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, it explores what these phenomena reveal about the nature of 'expanded consciousness' and their implications for humanistic and transpersonal psychology, parapsychology, and the underlying neuroscience of such experiences.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
October 1, 2006
Roger Walsh, Charles S. Grob
18 citations
Before psychedelic research was legally halted, over 1,000 clinical reports documented a wide range of psychological effects and therapeutic possibilities, with implications for psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, anthropology, sociology, and religious studies. Findings included insights into states of consciousness, the unconscious, motivation, self-actualization, spirituality, and psychotherapy. Because further human studies became virtually impossible, surviving original investigators were convened and interviewed to capture an oral history of their research. This article summarizes their conclusions, the psychological and social implications of their work, and its impact on diverse academic disciplines.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
May 15, 2020
Steve Taylor
11 citations
Time Expansion Experiences (TEEs) are episodes where the normal sense of time slows or expands dramatically. Analyzing 74 reports, the most common triggers were accidents (40 cases), followed by spiritual states (12), psychedelic experiences (7), and sports or games (7). Participants described heightened calmness, alertness, and rapid cognition that allowed preventative action, often in quiet settings. The authors argue TEEs are not an illusion created by recollection but a genuine feature of altered states of consciousness, arising when the normal self-system dissolves. Normal time experience is a psychological construct produced by the self-system.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
January 1, 2002
T. B. Roberts, P. J. Hruby
10 citations
The authors argue that a complete study of religion must include entheogens—psychedelic substances that can induce experiences of the divine. Drawing on William James, Charles Tart, and Ken Wilber, they propose a research agenda covering the spiritual nature of the human mind, the authenticity of entheogen-assisted religious experiences, pastoral counseling, experimental mysticism, entheogenic origins of religion, and policy issues around freedom of conscience and religion. They conclude with seven recommendations for churches, religious orders, seminaries, and scholarly groups to promote entheogenic research.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
May 3, 2023
Sascha Thal, Michelle Wieberneit, Jason M. Sharbanee et al.
6 citations
A systematized review of 82 sources examined best therapeutic practices during administration sessions with serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens as adjuncts to psychotherapy. Information about substances, dosages, number of sessions, common client issues, types of experiences, music, and therapeutic conduct was summarized and compared. The effects of different therapeutic models, methods, techniques, and complex interventions on outcomes have not been rigorously investigated. Most available evidence was anecdotal, limiting conclusive statements about appropriate therapeutic conduct. Essential components of therapeutic interventions remain largely tentative, necessitating systematic investigation.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
July 1, 1993
Thomas J. Riedlinger
6 citations
Before becoming famous for promoting psychedelic drugs, Timothy Leary built a reputation in interpersonal psychology and developed a humanistic psychotherapy called existential-transactional psychology. This article traces his work from his 1957 book Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality, based on research at Kaiser Foundation Hospital from 1950 to 1956, through his Harvard experiments with humanistic therapy and psychedelics from 1960 to 1963. The article emphasizes existential-transactional psychology, which Leary formulated in an unpublished treatise, The Existential Transaction. It urged psychologists to observe behavior in real-life situations without imposing medical models and to get involved in the events they studied. His Harvard psychedelic research is discussed as an application of this theory. Leary later said his expulsion from Harvard allowed him to expand his experimental design from hundreds to millions.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
July 1, 1992
Todd Evan Pressman
6 citations
A theory is proposed for how nonordinary states of consciousness can facilitate a person's movement toward wholeness. The article reviews the historical development of research into these states and defines key terms. The work of Stanislav Grof is examined in depth, presenting his model of consciousness derived from accounts of nonordinary experiences. Clinical case studies are offered as evidence for Grof's model, which is shown to align with the proposed theory of therapeutic potential.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
February 27, 2024
Jacob S. Aday, Emily K. Bloesch, Alan K. Davis et al.
5 citations
People who attended an ayahuasca retreat showed increased appreciation of art and beauty one week and one month later, according to a survey of 54 participants. Contrary to expectations, intense drug effects such as mystical experiences, awe, or ego dissolution did not predict these changes. The open-label design limits certainty, but the findings align with anecdotal reports of lasting shifts in aesthetic attitudes after psychedelic use. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms behind these changes.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
September 22, 2023
Mitch Earleywine, Maha N. Mian, Joseph A. de Leo
5 citations
Expectations about psychedelics are understudied despite their powerful subjective effects. In over 500 people who have used psilocybin, expectancies about antidepressant effects correlated with specific subjective experiences—mystical experiences, ego dissolution, and emotional breakthrough—that previous work linked to depression improvement. Current depressive symptoms, ego dissolution, and emotional breakthrough each predicted unique variance in expected antidepressant effects, but mystical experience expectancies did not. Demographic factors and general hallucinogen involvement showed only weak correlations. These findings suggest that psilocybin users hold relevant expectancies about subjective and antidepressant effects, which could influence treatment outcomes and deserve monitoring in clinical trials.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
August 9, 2017
R. Metzner
4 citations
The concept of consciousness expansion, historically primal to psychedelics, offers two advantages over the term 'tripping': it links psychedelic drugs with other expansion methods like meditation and creative visioning, and it contrasts with consciousness contraction seen in concentration and focus. Both expansions and contractions occur at individual states and societal worldviews. Contemporary global culture is shifting toward an expanded worldview that acknowledges both material and spiritual dimensions of existence.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
August 18, 2022
Mark Molumby, Keith Gaynor, Suzanne Guérin et al.
3 citations
Psilocybin may become a legal medicinal drug due to growing evidence of its efficacy for mental health disorders. This work tested the validity of a model of extra-pharmacological factors—set, setting, and intention—in predicting attitudes toward psilocybin. Two hundred nineteen participants completed online measures of personality and the Attitudes Toward Psilocybin scale. A model including a positive set, openness to experience, and lower extraversion significantly predicted attitudes. The findings support the model and suggest that a psychological suitability test could help determine whether psilocybin prescription is appropriate.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
July 1, 1993
Robert S. Gable
3 citations
A graduate student's ingestion of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) produced an altered state of consciousness, which he later reported to psychologists Fred Skinner and Abraham Maslow 30 years ago, noting their reactions. The author suggests that familiarity with hallucinogens can improve communication with terminally ill people and that these substances may help realize visionary potential.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
December 2, 2020
Magali Ollagnier-Beldame
2 citations
Human experience and the living body are often overlooked as sources of knowledge in psychology and cognitive science, despite their potential richness. This work argues that a first-person epistemology—along with precise methods for studying subjective experience—is necessary to genuinely investigate experiential knowledge. The proposal carries epistemological, ethical, and societal implications, suggesting that attending to experience can deepen understanding and inform broader goals beyond academia.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
April 9, 2025
Danielle Leonard, Thomas R. Brooks
1 citation
Peak and mystical experiences are states of consciousness varying in intensity and duration, characterized by profound joy, ecstasy, awe, noetic quality, decreased self-salience, and heightened interconnectedness. Renewed interest in psychedelics as therapeutic tools stems from early observations linking such experiences to well-being and healing. Numerous studies show a direct correlation between the strength of these experiences and positive, long-lasting psychological outcomes in psychedelic psychotherapy for depression, cancer-related distress, and substance use disorders. Mechanisms involve neurobiological changes in brain regions tied to self-referential processing and consciousness. However, medicalizing psychedelic therapy raises concerns about commodifying transformative states, prompting reevaluation of the role of peak experiences and exploration of non-pharmacological methods to induce them.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
June 19, 2026
Radosław Stupak, Pesach Lichtenberg
Psychiatric drug research has limited effectiveness because it relies on symptom-scale trials and biological reductionism that miss the subjective, context-dependent nature of medication effects. A proposed methodology, First-Person Psychopharmacology (1PPP), combines the rigor of randomized controlled trials with qualitative, idiographic methods to study how psychoactive substances alter consciousness, emotion, and behavior in real-life contexts, focusing on personal meaning, social situation, and narrative frameworks. Using a mixed design with multiple experimental groups, interviews, and interpretative and quantitative analyses, 1PPP aims to provide a more ecologically valid and person-centered alternative. Putting the psyche back into psychopharmacology is essential for advancing a humanistic and scientifically robust understanding of psychiatric medications.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
April 28, 2026
Austin J. Mallard, Matthew Broussard, Richard J. Zeifman et al.
People who have used psychedelics, either currently or in the past, report higher levels of compassionate love, self-compassion, and life satisfaction compared to those who have never used psychedelics. Current users also show greater self-compassion and life satisfaction than past users. Lifetime mystical-type experiences are positively linked to these aspects of positive psychological functioning across all groups, not just among psychedelic users. The findings, based on a cross-sectional survey of 984 people, suggest that psychedelic use and mystical experiences may support well-being, but the study is limited by self-reporting, its cross-sectional design, and a homogenous sample.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
November 10, 2025
Robin J. Murphy, Mia Wardlaw, Thomas A. Smith et al.
After a six-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 10 µg of lysergic acid diethylamide taken every third day, healthy male participants reported changes in emotions, mood, social life, mindfulness, cognition, work, creativity, and physiological effects. Openness to experience and bidirectionality of effects were overarching themes. Some reported changes have potential clinical relevance for mood disorders, and reports of changes in anxiety suggest careful patient and dose selection. Participants' experiences with set and setting, uncertainty from placebo control, and perceived bidirectionality of effects inform psychedelic clinical trial design.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
September 25, 2025
Jack Versace, James Rucker
Recreational psychedelic users report higher well-being and lower identity loss compared to nonusers, according to an online survey of 63 users and 218 nonusers. Among users, well-being and consolidated identity are strongly correlated, and self-integration behaviors (such as spending time in nature or journaling) are positively linked to both. However, integration behaviors do not significantly reduce severe identity disturbance. The authors caution that recreational psychedelic use carries risks, particularly for individuals with mental health issues, and that self-integration may help consolidate positive psychological growth but does not protect against serious identity problems.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
March 22, 2025
M. Cirillo
Western, FDA-regulated psychedelic research and Indigenous traditional uses differ substantially. The evidence-based approach prioritizes safety and efficacy for specific conditions, but risks overlooking knowledge accumulated over thousands of years in cultures where psychedelics have long been used. Carefully reviewing traditional benefits can inform culturally sensitive integration into Western practices. Proper acknowledgment of Indigenous contributions, inclusion in decision-making, and equitable reimbursement for guides are essential. This paper reviews current medical and traditional Indigenous psychedelic use to suggest incorporating beneficial practices from both approaches.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
July 1, 2024
Paul Grof
Psychedelic substances have been used for millennia, yet systematic understanding of the brain processes underlying the nonordinary states of consciousness (NSC) they induce has only recently become possible. Brain imaging reveals dynamic changes, and observations of spontaneously occurring NSC in major mood disorders show that the propensity for NSC increases at peaks of oscillatory brain activity and fully unfolds when oscillations exceed normal range. Neurobiological correlates of experientially opposite states—melancholy and mania—appear qualitatively the same, supporting the idea that experiential content emerges from nonlocal consciousness. Psychedelic experiences are triggered by the drug but shaped by mental set and setting, and their transformative process can be used psychotherapeutically for healing and inner restructuring.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
June 4, 2022
Nicole Amada, Jacob Shane
A survey of about 750 people from online psychedelic communities tested whether integrating a psychedelic experience into one's life story promotes optimal well-being. People who reported greater post-psychedelic integration also reported higher self-actualization, and this link was partly explained by perceived gains in self-insight and personal development—key aspects of narrative self-functioning. This pattern held for both clinical and non-clinical participants. Integration techniques that were more self-referential (e.g., reflecting on one's own identity) were indirectly associated with well-being through these narrative benefits. The authors caution that the cross-sectional design cannot establish causation.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
February 14, 2022
Rotem Petranker, Juensung Kim, Thomas Anderson
People who microdose psychedelics report four main themes: reasons for doing it, the practice itself, outcomes, and meta-commentary. Even at low doses, psychedelics may provide a sense of meaning, and reported benefits appear to occur regardless of motivation, likely due to enhanced psychological flexibility and connectedness. Double-blind, placebo-controlled experiments are needed to substantiate these reports.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
January 1, 2022
People who use psychedelics outside of clinical settings value three key characteristics in their carers: presence, trust, and empathy. Analysis of 403 online forum posts showed that these preferences align with existing guidelines for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, but also extend them—particularly the ability to “hold space” during the psychedelic experience, which users saw as crucial for positive outcomes. The findings suggest that practice-based evidence from nonclinical contexts can help refine treatment guidelines and point to areas needing more research.