The future of psychedelic science: What the next decade holds

Note: Usual caveat that street versions of any drug can be incredibly dangerous, for more on this see What's in My Baggie?. Dealers hate drug testers, to the point of trying to hunt them down. All to say trying to treat yourself without guidance is incredibly dangerous.

The future of psychedelic science: What the next decade holds

Rich Haridy

The last decade has been inarguably incredible for the field of psychedelic science. The term renaissance is hyperbolically thrown around a lot these days but in this context it is perfectly apt. Moving from the fringes of the research world and shaking off years of baggage from illicit recreational circles, scientists have made startling progress in legitimizing the medical potential of these drugs.

With both MDMA and psilocybin on the precipice of approvals as mainstream medicines, and several leading universities opening dedicated psychedelic research facilities, the story of the last 10 years has been one of profound breakthroughs. So, as we stand on the precipice of a new decade, it's worth pausing for a moment and looking forward to investigate what the 2020s may hold in this rapidly accelerating field.

New Atlas spoke to several leading psychedelic researchers to get their thoughts on three big future-forward questions. Where will psychedelic science be in 2030, what is the biggest hurdle psychedelic researchers will face in the 2020s, and what is the most interesting psychedelic research topic that has yet to be fully explored?

Note: Usual caveat that street versions of any drug can be incredibly dangerous, for more on this see What's in My Baggie?. Dealers hate drug testers, to the point of trying to hunt them down. All to say trying to treat yourself without guidance is incredibly dangerous.

New study finds psychedelic drugs result in lasting increases in nature relatedness

Eric Dolan

For their study, the researchers used online advertisements to recruit 654 individuals who were planning to use a psychedelic drug in the near future. The participants completed scientific questionnaires 1 week before their psychedelic experience and then one day, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 years afterward.

Gandy and his colleagues found that the psychedelic experience was associated with increases in nature relatedness. Specifically, the participants agreed more strongly with statements such as, “My ideal vacation spot would be a remote, wilderness area”, “My relationship to nature is an important part of who I am”, and “I feel very connected to all living things and the earth” after having consumed a psychedelic drug.

“Increases in nature relatedness or connection (the degree of one’s self identification with nature), were found to be positively correlated with concomitant increases in psychological wellbeing, and amount of lifetime psychedelic usage was correlated with level of nature relatedness at baseline,” Gandy told PsyPost.