Exploring associations between connectedness and death anxiety following a psychedelic experience

A survey of 106 adults who had a meaningful psychedelic experience found that increases in feelings of connectedness—to oneself, others, and the world—were linked to reduced fear of death and death avoidance. Participants reported these changes when comparing the three months before and after the experience. Greater connectedness in all three domains was associated with less fear of death, but only connectedness to self and others was tied to lower death avoidance. The intensity of the mystical experience was also related to greater connectedness and less fear of death, but not to death avoidance. The authors call for further research to clarify causality and whether these changes reflect adaptive acceptance or denial.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Background and aims Increased connectedness has been proposed as one mechanism through which psychedelics might reduce death anxiety. This study examined whether changes in connectedness—across intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal domains—were associated with changes in death anxiety following a significant psychedelic experience. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted with 106 adults ( M age = 31, SD = 10.25) who reported perceived changes before and after a meaningful psychedelic experience. Participants completed measures of connectedness to self, others, and the world, fear of death, death avoidance, and mystical experience strength, retrospectively reflecting on the three months prior to their experience and the three months after. Results Significant decreases were observed in both fear of death and death avoidance, as well as significant increases in all three subscales of connectedness. Increases in connectedness to self, others, and the world were each associated with reduced fear of death, but only connectedness to self and others were related to lower death avoidance. Mystical experience was positively associated with increases in all three domains of connectedness and lower fear of death but not death avoidance. Conclusions These findings support a relationship between connectedness and death anxiety following a psychedelic experience, both of which were associated with mystical experiences. Prospective and qualitative studies are needed to clarify causality and underlying mechanisms, and to determine whether such changes are psychologically adaptive reflections of acceptance or expressions of denial.