Survey finds new users of psychedelics report unusual visual experiences

With use of psychedelic drugs in the general population on the increase, there has been concern over their potential association with the experience of hallucinations or flashback-like phenomena after the drugs' pharmacological effects have subsided. Investigators conducted a longitudinal study to examine the relationship between psychedelic use and unusual visual experiences, hypothesizing that individuals using a psychedelic during the 2-month study period would report a greater increase in these experiences than individuals not using a psychedelic. Adults in the United States and United Kingdom completed a baseline survey in August 2022 and a follow-up survey 2 months later. Questions related to psychedelic use inquired about use of ayahuasca, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, and peyote. At 2 months they were asked about their use of other substances during the study period. They also were asked whether they had any unusual visual experiences, such as seeing a halo around objects, after-images from moving objects, or unidentified aerial phenomena. A total of 7,667 individuals completed the second survey, 100 of whom reported psychedelic use in the 2-month period. The investigators found that psychedelic use in the study period was associated with greater increases in unusual visual experiences. They also found that first-time users of psychedelics in the study period reported greater increases in unusual visual experiences. “The current results suggest that public health campaigns communicate to those who intend on using psychedelics (e.g., in states that have liberalized laws around psilocybin and other psychedelic substances) that unusual visual experiences are possible consequences of use,” the study's authors wrote. [Simonsson, O., et al. (2023). J Psychopharmacol. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811231218931]