Memory experiences under psychedelics – an exploratory prospective online study
Abstract
RationaleCase reports and early clinical research suggest classic psychedelics can occasion intense recall and processing of autobiographical memories. Such memory experiences have seen very little study more recently, although they may hold importance for both therapeutic effects and potential iatrogenic harms.ObjectivesThis prospective, exploratory study aimed to assess 1) the extent and content of memory experiences in naturalistic psychedelic use, as well as their associations with 2) elements of set and setting, 3) emotional breakthroughs and psychological insights, and 4) longer-term changes in well-being and later subjective evaluations of the experience.MethodsEnglish-speaking adults (N = 66, Mage = 34.91, 60.1% male) planning to take a classic psychedelic were assessed online before, 1-3 days, and 3-5 weeks after taking the psychedelic with self-report instruments.ResultsOn average, participants spent around a quarter of their psychedelic experience recalling past events, although variance was high. Positive and recent memories were most commonly recalled. Four in ten participants recalled usually avoided memories, nearly half potentially traumatic experiences, and a quarter memories of events they had never recalled before. Memory experiences, especially recalling avoided memories, were associated with more emotional breakthroughs and psychological insights and higher evaluations of the experience as useful, but did not predict changes in…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Diarylethenes for Memories and Switches
- Long-Term Potentiation and Memory
- Social Memory Studies: From “Collective Memory” to the Historical Sociology of Mnemonic Practices
- The Cognitive Neuroscience of Working Memory
- Memory aging and brain maintenance
- Effector and Memory CTL Differentiation
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.