Psilocybin-induced Autonomic, Perceptual, and Behavioral Change

In a sample of 15 college-educated volunteers, a 160 µg/kg dose of psilocybin produced measurable changes in perception and behavior. The degree of drug-induced psychological disturbance, assessed by changes in Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scores, correlated with greater variability in simple taste and vision tasks. However, the increase in pupil size, a reliable autonomic measure, showed no such relationship. The authors equate the psychological disturbance with each person's symbolic interpretation of their own central nervous system activity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Autonomic, perceptual, and behavioral changes induced by 160 µg/kg psilocybin were studied in a homogenous sample of 15 self-selected College educated male and female volunteers. The subjects were rank ordered as to the extent of drug-induced psychopathology using their Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory pre-drug to drug peak differences scores. Extent of variability on simple perceptual tasks – in gustation and vision – is significantly related to extent of drug-induced psychopathology, whereas drug-induced pupil-size increase – a reliable autonomic variable – is unrelated to drug-induced psychopathology, which, in our terminology, is equated with a subject's symbolic interpretation of his own central nervous System activity.