Griffiths then spoke to the long-term effects of these psilocybin sessions. When following up one month after treatment, researchers found an overwhelming majority of volunteers reported increases in various personal and behavioral qualities such as “positive attitudes about life and self, positive mood changes, spirituality,” and “altruism/positive social effects,” which had a dose-related correlation to their psilocybin session. To highlight this, he used the following statistics:

78% — among the top five most personally meaningful experiences of their life 83% — among the top five most spiritually significant experiences of their life 94% — increased sense of well-being or life satisfaction moderately or very much 89% — endorsed positive behavior change

The participants reported more self-confidence, inner authority, authenticity, playfulness, open-mindedness, self-honesty, appreciation, gratitude, enthusiasm, love, positive relationships, concern, spirituality, and more. As Griffiths listed off these behavioral changes, I struggled to jot them down in time. Eventually, I just scribbled into my notebook, “Practically every positive facet of the human experience.”

Griffiths, Roland R., et al. “Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later.” Journal of psychopharmacology 22.6 (2008): 621–632.

In Griffiths’ team’s research, it was found that these self-reported effects were sustained in the second follow-up 14 months post-session. Griffiths added anecdotally, that from the participants he’s communicated with, these changes continued to last far beyond that time point

As part of this fourteen-month survey, the research team also reached out to community observers, “three adults who were expected to have continuing contact with the participant,” and found their ratings to be generally consistent with the participants’ self-reports.

As a medical practitioner, Griffiths spoke to the wide range of psychoactive drugs that he has prescribed and studied in research during his long career in psychiatry and psychopharmacology, and said that psilocybin stood out as having “remarkable enduring value.” He posited that part of this enduring value may be directly related to the occurrence of the aforementioned mystical-type experiences associated with psilocybin use.

The researchers found that some of these lasting impacts were positively-correlated with the “Mysticism Score” taken after the psilocybin session, but not positively-correlated with the dose of psilocybin nor the intensity of the drug effect.

Griffiths, Roland R., et al.

To compare these mystical experiences induced by psilocybin to naturally-occurring mystical experiences, the researchers conducted a survey among the general public where they elicited responses on the most spiritually-significant events in each individual’s life. Interestingly, most naturally-occurring mystical experiences were described as being an act of God or God’s emissary, while most psilocybin-induced mystical experiences were described as insights into the ultimate nature of reality.

Borrowed from Roland Griffiths’ slide set.

But when comparing the qualitative attributions to what was encountered in either scenario, there is remarkable consistency.

In both cases, whether psilocybin-induced or without drugs, the “truth” encountered by the majority of respondents was described as “intelligent, sacred, benevolent, eternal, conscious” and not “malicious or negatively judgemental.”

In the comment section of the research paper detailing these results, the authors write, “Descriptive research suggests that naturally occurring instances of dramatic positive behavioral change are sometimes associated with spontaneously occurring, transformative psychological experiences, frequently of a mystical-type variety.” To demonstrate the personal impact of these mystical experiences under the influence of psilocybin, the reproduced comments verbatim from the volunteers.

“The sense that all is One, that I experienced the essence of the Universe and the knowing that God asks nothing of us except to receive love.” “Freedom from every conceivable thing including time, space, relationships, self, etc… It was as if the embodied ‘me’ experienced ultimate transcendence— even of myself.” “A reality that was clear, beautiful, bright and joyful…”

Demonstrating the potential therapeutic applications of psilocybin, Griffiths quickly covered studies that he’s been involved in concerning psychologically distressed cancer patients and cigarette cessation programs. In the former case, a study of those with life-threatening illnesses found that, “a single dose of psilocybin produced substantial and enduring decreases in depressed mood and anxiety along with increases in quality of life and decreases in death anxiety,” while a pilot study of the treatment of tobacco addiction reported that, “80% of participants were abstinent at 6-month follow-up.” The sample sizes of these populations are small and nonrepresentative but, compared to similar interventions, the prospect of therapeutic value is very promising.

The possible mechanism for these positive changes requires further research, but Griffiths speculated that, under the influence of psilocybin, “there’s this profound shift in sense of self and worldview that may result in a reconstruction of life’s story and a loosening of self-focused narratives.” His research suggests that we are all bound by inner thoughts that both shape and limit our worldview and that by unleashing our mind to what else is possible—temporarily untethering us from the past, the future, and the self—we may gain a greater awareness of our own agency to make these positive changes.

Griffiths’ parting words were both practical and existential. He urged his colleagues in the room take up research involving psilocybin in their own respective fields, while also speaking to how close these experiences of oneness and unity are to the human condition. “With that insight comes the realization that we’re all in this together,” quoth Griffiths. “This is the experience of what it is to be human.”