Psychedelics, connectedness, and compassion

Abstract

Psychedelics are drugs with the remarkable capacity to induce long-term behavioural change after a single experience, which puts them in the focus of attention of contemporary psychiatry and clinical psychology. We review recent evidence showing that psychedelics can enhance certain dimensions of prosocial behaviour and well-being via increases in feelings of connectedness, which are mediated by changes in specific and well-understood neural networks. We then discuss how these changes could benefit compassion focused therapy, leading to the suggestion of exploring psychedelics as adjuncts for therapy. This suggestion is understood in the broader context of a true psychedelic renaissance in clinical and fundamental research, with potential to transform our conception of mental health disorders and the way we treat them.