How are psychedelics and ecological concern connected? Some believe that psychedelic compounds might increase connectedness to nature by dissolving ego boundaries, resulting in the inclusion of nature in self-identification. This effect is described in the following patient report:
“BEFORE [THE PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE] I ENJOYED NATURE, NOW I FEEL PART OF IT. BEFORE I WAS LOOKING AT IT AS A THING, LIKE TV OR A PAINTING. [BUT] YOU’RE PART OF IT, THERE’S NO SEPARATION OR DISTINCTION, YOU ARE IT.”
Evidence is growing for the theory that psychedelics increase connectedness to nature. In a small study involving patients with treatment-resistant depression, nature-relatedness and authoritarianism were shown to be increased and decreased, respectively, lasting for up to 12 months after psilocybin administration. Additionally, in a large-scale general population online study, participants reported that their use of psychedelics increased their self-identification with nature, which was in turn associated with pro-environmental behavior.25 Furthermore, another survey study found that related attitudes and beliefs, like the personality trait of “openness” and liberal political views, were positively associated with the ingestion of psychedelics, although the magnitude of this effect should not be overestimated.
It is a matter of ongoing discussion whether the relationship between nature-relatedness and psychedelics is causal or correlational. However, preliminary findings indicate that in addition to the positive effects on healthy individuals, exposure to nature within depression treatment might significantly increase the success rate. A thorough and more in-depth review about psychedelics and nature relatedness can be found elsewhere.
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