Enhanced empathy, creative

thinking and well-being day(s) after

ingestion of a single psilocybin dose

Kim PC Kuypers, Maastricht University

S.08 - Progress in drug development – New medications and clinical
trials; Session type: New Medication Session
September 8 2019, ECNP Copenhagen
 Psychedelic substances: classes & prototypical effects
Classical Psychedelics
- Psilocybin, LSD, Ayahuasca,
Mescaline,…
- ‘Broadening’ of consciousness,
amplifying emotions, relaxation
- Agonist 5-HT2A receptor
Dissociatives
• Ketamine, Salvia Divinorum,
PCP, DXM,…
• Detachement from body,
sedation, pain relief
Empathogens
• MDMA, MDE, MDEA,…
• Experiences of emotional
communion, oneness, relatedness,
emotional openness
• Action on 5-HT transporter
Unique substances
• Cannabis (THC/CBD), iboga,
mad honey, sea sponges,…
• Complex effects from
dissociative to sedative to
stimulating,…
Who uses it and why?
Who? Why?
• Worldwide sample • To feel euphoric
• N= 1967; 60% America • To broaden consciousness
• Mage (SD): 25.9 (8.7) • To enhance activity
• 79% male • For the spiritual experience
• 57% University degree • To experience nature
(Kettner, Mason & Kuypers, 2019)
(Mason & Kuypers, 2018)
• To self-medicate
(Mason & Kuypers, 2018; Hutten, Mason, Dolder,
Kuypers, 2019)
Psilocybin: a ‘new’ medicine?

Ancient cave paintings,

artwork, books

Vollenweider & Kometer (2010)

Alhadeff (1963)
Our focus: How does it ‘work’?
“Like many other mental disorders, depression is characterized by psychological inflexibility” (Koval et al., 2012),
deficits in empathic abilities and decreased well-being (Beck, 1967; Neumann et al., 2011)

▪ persistence of effects on creativity and empathy

▪ the relationship with subjective well-being

Kuypers et al., 2016 Pokorny et al., 2018 Griffiths et al 2016, clinical population
Quasi-experimental study
• Setting
• Retreat in NL
• Participants
− Healthy, Self-selected
- Age: 34.9 (8.9)
- Sex: 47% female
- 52.7 previous psilocybin experience;
49.1% psychedelic
- Motivation: “to understand myself”
(83.6%), “curiosity” (80%), “to resolve N=55 N=50 N=22
problems” (49.1%), and “other” (18.2%)
• Psilocybin
- Self-Administration: truffles, tea
- Dose (27.1 mg)
Findings
Significant changes No significant changes
• Emotional empathy ↗↗
• Concern for others • Emotion recognition
• Morning after - emotions
• Aroused by emotions of others • Flexible thinking
• Morning after + & -
• 7 days later - emotions • One parameter: No
• Convergent thinking ↗↗ effects on ratio of
• More correct
• 7 days after psilocybin number and
• Flexible thinking ↗↗ originality
• Morning after
• More associations, more original
• Satisfaction with life
• Morning after + 7 days later
• Higher baseline in psilocybin experienced people
• Positive correlations between EE and SWL
• Morning after & 7 days later
Summary and implications for therapy
• Rational thinking is enhanced, flexible thinking too
• Out of the box thinking and enhanced integration?

• Concern and arousal for others is amplified

• <> Emotional numbness

• People feel better in general

Critical remarks
Value and limitations
++ Input for placebo-controlled studies
++ Persisting effects/duration
• Positive effect up to 7 days post-ceremony
+/- Dose
• Not controlled
• Higher than in the lab though no adverse
effects
-- Not placebo-controlled
• Effects of drug and supportive setting can
not be disentangled
• Follow-up compare with traditional
treatments and lab findings
-- Self-selected sample
• Data is not generalizable?
Questions, challenges, and future
• Placebo-controlled study in
social setting
• Group therapy?
• Dose
• Define the ‘right’ dose
• Mechanism of action
• Psychological, biological
• Predictors of treatment success
• Demographics, subjective effects,
biology
“Modern science is beginning to confirm what traditional cultures have told us for centuries: Psychedelics
have transformative healing properties.” Cody Johnson, Magic Medicine

Thank you!
Kim PC Kuypers
www.psychedelicmedicine.eu
www.psychopharmacologyinmaastricht.com