Exploring Entheogenic Experiences and Spirituality
Article Title: “Entheogenic Experience and Spirituality”
Authors: Petter G. Johnstad
Publication Date: 2021
Background
Psychedelics, or “entheogens,” have long been used in spiritual contexts to evoke mystical and transformative experiences. Derived from the Greek word meaning “God within,” entheogens are believed to reveal profound truths about existence and offer deep personal insights. While spiritual use of psychedelics is often associated with intense mystical experiences, recent research shows that the spectrum of spiritual experiences facilitated by these substances is broader than previously thought.
Study Overview
This study was conducted via an online survey and gathered data from 319 participants who had used psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT. The survey sought to examine the characteristics of spiritual experiences induced by entheogens and how users ascribed spiritual meaning to their psychedelic experiences. The study explored participants’ spiritual motivations, affiliations, and practices to better understand what factors influenced these spiritual experiences.
Key Findings
Two Types of Spiritual Experience: The study identified two distinct types of spiritual experience induced by entheogens:
- Mystical-type Experiences: These are characterised by feelings of unity with a transcendent force, ineffability, and dissolution of the self. These experiences were significantly predicted by participants’ spirituality, including their religious or spiritual affiliations, spiritual motivation, and practices.
- Insight and Connection: The second type involved less intense, yet spiritually meaningful experiences such as insights into oneself and the world, positive emotions (joy, peace, and love), and improved connections with nature and other people. Spiritual motivation was the primary predictor for this type, but affiliation or practices were not significant factors.
Fear and Mystical Experiences: Participants reported experiencing significant fear during mystical-type experiences, correlating with the intensity of ego dissolution and contact with transcendent forces.
Discussion
The findings of this study challenge the assumption that entheogenic spirituality is commonly about full-blown mystical experiences. While mystical experiences were a major theme, the study highlighted a broader range of spiritual encounters, including those focused on personal insight and connection with others. These more subtle spiritual experiences were still deeply meaningful for participants and formed part of a longer-term process of personal growth.
Implications
The study’s results are important for those exploring psychedelics in spiritual or retreat settings. It suggests that not all meaningful spiritual experiences with psychedelics will involve the overwhelming mystical states often associated with such substances. Many users derive spiritual satisfaction from personal insights, emotional healing, and connections to the world around them. This opens up the possibility for a more inclusive understanding of spiritual growth during psychedelic retreats, where participants may benefit from both profound mystical experiences and gentler, yet still spiritually enriching, experiences.
Potential Application
For those running or attending psychedelic retreats, this research implies that spiritual goals may be achieved through various pathways. Facilitators might consider structuring retreats to accommodate a wide range of experiences, from the mystical to the more everyday, and guide participants through both intense and moderate spiritual journeys. The recognition that personal insights and connection can also be spiritually transformative is of importance.
Conclusions
The study confirms that psychedelics can induce diverse spiritual experiences. Mystical-type experiences, marked by unity and transcendence, are profound, but equally significant are the more common experiences of insight, connection, and emotional growth. Both forms of experience offer valuable spiritual benefits, and understanding these distinctions can help better support individuals seeking spiritual development through psychedelics.
Reference:
Johnstad, P. G. (2021). Entheogenic Experience and Spirituality. Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, 33(5), 463–481. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700682-12341512
