Meaningful Psychedelic Experiences Predict Increased Moral Expansiveness.

Meaningful psychedelic experiences are associated with self-reported increases in moral expansiveness—the broadening of one's circle of moral concern. Changes in moral expansiveness were positively correlated with mystical experiences, ego dissolution, and feelings of being moved and admiration during the experience. Heightened moral expansiveness was also linked to longer-term shifts in the propensity to experience self-transcendent positive emotions such as admiration and awe. The findings suggest that acute subjective effects of psychedelics may play a role in expanding moral concern.

Study at a glance

Abstract

There has been growing interest in understanding the psychological effects of psychedelic experiences, including their potential to catalyze significant shifts in moral cognition. This retrospective study examines how meaningful psychedelic experiences are related to changes in moral expansiveness and investigates the role of acute subjective effects as predictors of these changes. We found that meaningful psychedelic experiences were associated with self-reported increases in moral expansiveness. Changes in moral expansiveness were positively correlated with reported mystical experiences, ego dissolution, as well as feeling moved and admiration during the experience. Additionally, heightened moral expansiveness was associated with longer term shifts in the propensity to experience the self-transcendent positive emotions of admiration and awe. Future research should further investigate the mechanisms underlying these changes and explore how different types of psychedelic experiences might influence moral decision-making and behavior over time.