A recent study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs suggests that people who use psychedelic substances may experience less anxiety about death compared to those who do not. The research indicates that this reduced fear is not directly caused by the drugs themselves, but rather by the experiences of transcending death that these substances can facilitate. These experiences involve a sense of continuity beyond physical death, either through spiritual beliefs or a lasting legacy.
Death anxiety, or the distress caused by the awareness of mortality, is a universal experience. It often manifests in various ways, from fear of illness and loss of control to avoidance of death-related discussions. Motivated by the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, the researchers sought to investigate whether people who use psychedelics exhibit lower levels of death anxiety compared to those who do not.
“My interest in this topic originates from my primary research area: hospice and palliative care. Thanatology (the study of death and dying) is closely intertwined with end-of-life care and the themes of mortality and finitude,” said study author Ana Cláudia Mesquita Garcia, a professor and researcher at the Federal University of Alfenas in Brazil and coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Center for Palliative Care Studies.
“I have a strong academic and personal curiosity about exploring issues related to death, dying, and how people confront their own mortality. Death anxiety is a relatively common phenomenon, as many individuals fear or are apprehensive about death. My goal was to investigate whether and how psychedelics influence death anxiety, particularly given their reported potential to evoke profound psychological and spiritual experiences that may help individuals better cope with existential concerns.”
The study employed a cross-sectional design, recruiting 517 adult participants from Brazil through social media and messaging platforms using a snowball sampling strategy. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 76, with a mean age of 38.7 years, and 70% identified as female.
To measure death anxiety, the researchers used a validated Brazilian version of the Death Anxiety Scale, which consists of 15 items that assess individuals’ emotional reactions to the anticipation of death. Participants also completed the Death Transcendence Scale, which evaluates their perceptions of continuity beyond physical death across religious, mystical, and creative dimensions, among others. Additionally, the study included the Spiritual Well-Being Scale to assess participants’ sense of purpose and satisfaction with life.
Participants were asked about their use of psychedelics, including substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, ayahuasca, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The frequency of use was categorized as “never,” “almost never,” “occasionally,” or “frequently.” They also provided information about their age, gender, education level, and whether they regularly engaged in discussions about mortality.
The results showed a consistent relationship between psychedelic use and lower levels of death anxiety. Individuals who reported frequent or occasional use of psychedelics, particularly substances like LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, and DMT, exhibited lower scores on the Death Anxiety Scale compared to those who had never or almost never used these substances.
The findings also highlighted the role of death transcendence in explaining these reductions. Among various dimensions of death transcendence, the researchers identified religious and mystical experiences as being particularly influential in lowering death anxiety. Participants who reported stronger beliefs in life after death or who had experienced feelings of unity and interconnectedness during mystical states tended to have less anxiety about death. On the other hand, individuals with a stronger focus on symbolic or creative forms of transcendence—such as leaving a lasting legacy through artistic or scientific contributions—exhibited higher levels of death anxiety, potentially reflecting a heightened awareness of their mortality.
“In our study, we investigated death anxiety and transcendence of death, among other variables, among users and non-users of psychedelics,” Mesquita Garcia told PsyPost. “The results of our study suggest that psychedelics favor the transcendence of death, that is, the perception of the possibility of continued existence (in symbolic or spiritual terms) even after physical death. And it is the possibility of transcending death that contributes to reducing death anxiety. In other words, psychedelics facilitate the transcendence of death and this, in turn, helps to reduce death anxiety.”
“One result that surprised me was the indication that what reduces death anxiety is not the psychedelics themselves but the transcendence of death they facilitate. Psychedelics promote experiences of death transcendence, which then reduce death anxiety. This suggests that humans are inherently spiritual beings, regardless of religious affiliation. Spirituality relates to our innate need for transcendence, the search for purpose, meaning, and significance in life. This finding highlights the deep psychological and existential mechanisms at play, suggesting that addressing the spiritual dimension of human existence is central to alleviating death anxiety.”
While the study shed new light on the relationship between psychedelic use and death anxiety, it has some limitations. Because it was an observational study relying on self-reported data, it is not possible to establish a direct causal relationship between psychedelic use and reduced death anxiety.
The sample was also predominantly female and relied on a non-random recruitment method, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. “The self-selected nature of participants might introduce motivational bias, as they were likely predisposed to view psychedelics positively,” Mesquita Garcia noted.
Future research could address these limitations by using more diverse and representative samples and experimental designs that can better establish causality. Further investigation is also needed to understand the mechanisms through which psychedelics influence death transcendence and death anxiety. The researcher plans to continue this line of research, focusing on longitudinal studies and exploring the potential therapeutic use of psychedelics.
“I aim to further explore the mechanisms through which psychedelics influence death transcendence and death anxiety,” Mesquita Garcia explained. “I also intend to continue investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in controlling symptoms in people with serious illnesses – especially in terms of relieving existential and spiritual suffering. Future studies will focus on longitudinal or experimental designs to better establish causality, as well as on creating therapeutic frameworks that integrate psychedelics for hospice and palliative care.”
The study, “Death Anxiety Among Users and Non-Users of Psychedelics,” was authored by Ana Cláudia Mesquita Garcia, Lucas Oliveira Maia, Everson Meireles, Denismar Alves Nogueira, and Luís Fernando Tófoli
