Intentions might matter in unexpected ways: A nuanced exploration of psychedelic intentions beyond their type

People's intentions before taking a high dose of classic psychedelics are linked to the quality of their experience. In a retrospective survey of 296 individuals, those whose intentions were more ritualized, felt purer, and played a central role in the experience reported more positive outcomes, including greater personal realization, significance, mystical-type experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and connectedness. Whether the intention originated internally or externally mattered less, except that intentions formed with help from meaningful others predicted higher emotional breakthrough scores. These findings suggest that preparing intentions with ritual and perceived purity may enhance psychedelic experiences.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Background . It is widely accepted that beyond the pharmacological predictors, individuals’ pre-drug mental disposition, including intentions , influences the psychedelic experience. However, is it not fully clear how intentions and outcomes relate. This study explores the intention qualities beyond classically assessed category and explicitness in association with outcomes. Methods . Assessed retrospective self-report data ( N = 296) based on participants’ most recent experience involving a high dose of long-acting classical serotonergic psychedelics included intention ritualisation, perceived purity, exogeny (external origin), endogeny (internal origin), and centrality (the role of intention within the psychedelic experience). Assessed outcomes included perceived realisation and significance, occurrence of mystical-type and challenging experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and connectedness. Results . Ritualisation, perceived purity and centrality appeared to be largely associated with what could be considered positive outcomes, both in terms of perceived realisation and significance and acute psychedelic outcomes. In comparison to these, endogenous versus exogenous origin of intention appeared to matter less except for intentions which were defined with the help of meaningful others predicting higher emotional breakthrough scores. Conclusions . Results support the idea that ritualisation, perceived purity and centrality of intentions are associated with positive outcomes. These results may be useful to consider within the preparation for psychedelic experiences across all settings.