Translated from our German original by AI. The German text was researched, written, and edited by the Psychedelia Foundation team and remains the authoritative version.
Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and mescaline have been associated with possible changes in personality traits for decades of research. The evidence, however, is regarded as contradictory. An updated systematic review has now summarized the evidence published between 2016 and 2024.
For the analysis, the researchers screened 6,043 publications and finally included 48 studies, among them 14 experimental and 34 observational studies. They considered work on classic psychedelics in which standardized instruments were used to measure personality traits.
The most consistent findings show an increase in the personality dimension of openness to experience and a decrease in neuroticism, particularly after taking psilocybin and ayahuasca. Changes in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, by contrast, were inconsistent. Studies on microdosing reported moderate associations with lower neuroticism and higher scores on the personality dimension of absorption, which describes the capacity to become deeply engaged in an experience.
In the authors’ assessment, the available data suggest that classic psychedelics may be associated with lasting changes in certain personality traits. The signals are most consistent for increased openness and reduced neuroticism. At the same time, they stress that further research is needed. Future studies should combine experimental and naturalistic approaches more closely, include longer follow-up periods, and take different models of personality into account. This could contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between classic psychedelics and personality, and provide a sounder basis for possible clinical applications.
