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Psychedelic Communitas: Intersubjective Experience During Psychedelic Group Sessions Predicts Enduring Changes in
H Kettner1, F E Rosas1,2,3, C Timmermann1
1Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Pharmacology
|May 17, 2021
Summary
Psychedelic ceremonies enhance wellbeing by fostering a sense of togetherness (communitas) and shared humanity. This social connection, particularly through self-disclosure and support, significantly improves long-term mental health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychopharmacology
- Social Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Psychedelic research is reviving for mood and addiction disorders.
- Contextual factors ('set and setting') are crucial for psychedelic outcomes.
- The social dimension of psychedelic experiences is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To psychometrically validate an adapted Communitas Scale for assessing togetherness and shared humanity.
- To investigate psychosocial mechanisms in psychedelic ceremonies and retreats.
- To explore the role of social factors in psychedelic therapy outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Observational, web-based survey with 886 participants.
- Measured communitas across five time-points around a psychedelic ceremony.
- Assessed psychological wellbeing, social connectedness, and other psychosocial variables.
Main Results:
- The adapted Communitas Scale showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and construct validity.
- Communitas during ceremony correlated with increased psychological wellbeing and social connectedness.
- Self-disclosure and positive participant-facilitator relationships mediated the link between communitas and long-term outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Intersubjective experience, rapport, and emotional support are vital for psychedelic therapy success.
- This study provides quantitative evidence for psychosocial factors in guided psychedelic settings.
- Findings support developing guidelines for collective psychedelic use.
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