The TRUTH About Psychedelic Mystical Experiences

If you're plugged into the psychedelic space at all, you've probably heard a lot about how psychedelics can induce mystical experiences.

There's a lot out there claim that they can cure depression and that they are THE way that psychedelics can help people heal and transform.

But do these ideas actually stand up to scientific scrutiny? What does the research actually tell us? Have the media narratives run away from actual findings?

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Manesh Girn is soon to finish his PhD in Neuroscience at McGill University and has been lead or co-author nearly two dozen scientific publications and book chapters on topics including psychedelics, meditation, daydreaming, and brain networks.

In October 2023, Manesh is joining pioneering psychedelic researcher Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris at the University California San Francisco as a postdoctoral psychedelic neuroscientist. He will be conducting brain imaging research on the mechanisms underlying psilocybin, among other projects.

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[lowtech]

When the world needed him most, he returned!!!

[egglion]

Heres my experience. I had an anxiety disorder for 20 years. I threw up and had panic attacks daily for the first 20 years of my life. I tripped off psilocybin once and had a mystical experience of the universe directly talking to me and telling me everthing was gonna be okay. Ever since I've been open to new ideas and my anxiety has gone from being the only thing in my life to being a small part of my life. I've begun daily meditation because I personally strongly believe that the mystical experience I had is exactly what people try to achieve with meditation, and from my own experience I've confirmed it to be true. For me at least. I've been so much happier and healthier and I'm now entering the happiest era of my life.

[harrisonshields]

Hey, thank you for this honest appraisal. It’s such a breath of fresh air in an internet that fairly wreaks of biased bs. It’s hard to make a video that comes to the honest conclusion of “well, it’s complicated” instead of giving the easy hard yes/ hard no which viewers desire for the comfort of keeping their intellectual walls up. Good job! ❤

[Sutterjack]

These substance are very unpredictable person to person and should aways be approached with respect. I firmly believe it's good to go into these experiences with an intention, but not an expectation. I respect your point of view. It's nearly impossible that people have zero lack of expectation going into this, especially when they're trying to resolve a mental health issue like depression. I've never heard a researcher say this is a "one size fits all" cure by any means - especially claiming everyone will have a spiritual awaking or mystical experience doing this. Glad there is serious, responsible research being done finally on this.

[the_gopnik_union]

I believe that nothing is ever simply perfect or clear, from my experience the link to oneness that is experienced is like no other spiritual insight and is aw inducing and practically so powerful that it cannot be properly described in words. I don't think anyone should want a mystical experience and it's because the abyss itself is inevitable and is encapsulating beyond all and should not be doven into unless a reason is found. Don't dive unless your ready to be head deep in something you've never seen till that very moment. They're are no questions or answers, it simply is. Great video btw! I love hearing this side of this topic and I don't disagree, only seek a tool when the job is right, it's not for everyone.

[albert.robles]

I've listened to many trip reports, books, talks on psychedelics but yet to try them out. Just don't know where or how i can get my hands on them, especially the LSD.

[zachstone]

I strongly believe, if it weren't for the mystical experiences I've had with the help of psychedelics, I would not be alive today. They have helped my resolve early childhood trauma, address my previous need of constant validation, helped resolve abandonment issues, and help me contend with my fears of death. From my experience, the biggest takeaway /teaching from any and all mystical experiences is that we are all ONE. Although I am not religious in the least bit, I like to use the term GodUS. With that teaching comes a deep understanding that we have the responsibility of taking care of all things living and non living. I / we are all things. What hurts one thing also hurts us. I am now devoted to bringing these medicines to others who are courageous enough to let go of everything in order to help heal themselves (us).

[ArtemMindsurfer]

heyyy, we were waiting for your comeback!) welcome :)

[boxdreper]

Glad you're posting again! Great video!

[helojoe]

This was a really refreshing and important take on this phenomenon. I feel like there is a broader underlying discussion to be had about the vocabulary being used in psychedelic research. Things like mysticism, wonder, connection with god(s) or magic, as well as outdated theories, are to be used with caution, when there are better provable ways to explain things nowadays.

In this discussion, "ego-dissolution" would maybe be a better term used instead of "mystical experience" (although it sounds more scary).

I'm currently trying to read Stan Grof's "LSD psychotherapy" and have a really hard time with the language used and the conclusions being drawn from this framing. Especially the psychoanalytical views i often found disturbing or difficult. This lead me to question if these 50 year old books still have much value for a psychology student, who wants to enter the psychedelic research space with a focus on neuroscience. What's your take on this? Is much of the first wave research still valuable to read for the modern researcher?

[zachhoy]

good call on the dangers of overhyping, it's important that access to psychedelics develops hand-in-hand with psychedelic treatment options

[mintakan]

It's a good point to note, i.e., not to overstate things. I wonder whether "mystical experiences", "dissolution of the ego", or "shift in identity", are deeper penetrations into the psyche, hence, can lead to deeper changes?

On the other hand, the less glamorous "integration" phase, how it affects one's lived life afterwards, maybe just as important, for lasting therapeutic changes, in one's life.

I wonder whether psychedelic therapy should be billed differently? For e.g., in terms of neuroplasticity, getting "unstuck" from fixed patterns of holding, to a new configuration of seeing, that is more adaptive, less stressful? And all under a therapeutic environment. It allows for the drug, at different doses. It also acknowledges *both* the importance of the drug, and "set and setting".

[ArtemMindsurfer]

how do you personally as a human not scientist think: is there a process of connection to the reality unity and interconnected mess or just an illusion of that?

[freddonovan]

I've heard so many wonderful things about magic mushrooms, LSD but I can't easily get some, Is there any realiable source I can purchase from??

[chpautsch]

The music makes it very hard to follow the content.

[DedicatedSpirit]

Minesh, why is it sooo hard to get good acid?

[travissimpson]

My experience got waaaay too mystical. It kinda wigged me out

[zachleary]

If you're looking for science to back mystical findings then you are so far out of touch with the psychedelic experience and have no idea what you're talking about.