Study on psychedelic experiences without (immediate) prior use of psychedelics

Dear study participant,

Thank you for your interest in taking part in our online survey! Below, we would like to give you some information about the study and the data collected.

What is the study about?

Some people report that they sometimes (re)experience the effects of psychedelic substances days, weeks, months, or even years after taking them, without having taken psychedelics again.

This can include, for example, the following experiences:

Reliving previous psychedelic experiences or parts of them (e.g., reappearance, re-experiencing, or flashbacks)
Psychedelic experiences that you have not experienced before, but which strongly remind you of the psychedelic state in general
Persistent psychedelic effects or experiences that have not completely subsided after a previous experience with psychedelics (i.e., persistence of individual psychedelic experiences after the acute substance effect has clearly subsided)

With our survey, we would like to help answer the following questions:

What exactly do psychedelic experiences that occur without the acute or immediate influence of a psychedelic substance look like?
What are potential factors that contribute to psychedelic experiences occurring in people without (immediate) prior use of psychedelics?
What factors could be contributing to people suffering from these experiences?
What is perceived as helpful in dealing with psychedelic (re-)experiencing without (immediate) prior use of psychedelics?

To answer these questions, you will be asked to recall specific psychedelic experiences as accurately as possible.

Important: Anyone who has ever taken psychedelics can take part in this study, regardless of whether or not they have subsequently experienced psychedelic (re-)experiences.

How long does participation take and
what do I get out of it?

Participation in the survey will take about 15-20 minutes. Participation is voluntary and you can stop completing the questionnaire at any time by closing your browser window. The questionnaire completed up to this point is saved and may be included in the overall evaluation. Your participation will not result in any direct benefit for you. By sharing your experiences, you are making an important contribution to research into the effects of psychedelic substances.

Is participation anonymous?

Participation in the survey is completely anonymous, and your IP address will not be stored. At the beginning of the questionnaire, we will ask for some personal data, such as age and gender. However, with this information, it is not possible to trace who has completed the questionnaire. The study will take place after approval by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Psychology at the Humboldt University of Berlin (EK 2024-44-k).

Who can take part in the study?

Anyone who fulfills the following requirements can take part in this study:

Minimum age of 18 years
You have taken a classic psychedelic substance at least once in your life (e.g., psilocybin "magic mushrooms", LSD, mescaline, DMT, ayahuasca, 5-MeO-DMT) or MDMA/ecstasy or ketamine
You can read and write in German or English

START SURVEY

Please note that the questionnaire is best completed on a larger screen with a keyboard (computer, laptop). If you are using a smartphone, please rotate the view to landscape format.

Are there any risks associated with participating in the study?

There are no known risks associated with completing the questionnaire.

Whom can I contact if I need help for
distressing experiences after taking psychedelics?

Unfortunately, we cannot offer you treatment for persistent symptoms as part of the study. However, on our study homepage you will find information and links to help services that you can turn to.