Two reasons I’m sceptical about psychedelic science
Since I was young, I have been intrigued by altered states of consciousness, such as out-of-body experiences, paranormal phenomena and religious visions. I studied psychology and neuroscience to gain a better understanding of how these experiences come about. And in my scientific career, I have focused on the question of why some people are more prone to having these experiences than others.
Naturally, when I came across psychedelic science a couple of years ago, this field also sparked my academic interest. Here was an opportunity to study people who had a psychedelic experience and who claimed to have had a glimpse of ultimate reality. I started to research psychedelic experiences at Leiden University and founded the PRSM lab – a group of scientists from different academic backgrounds who study psychedelic, religious, spiritual and mystical experiences.
Initially, I was enthusiastic about the mind-transforming potential of psychedelics. These substances, when administered correctly, appear to be capable of enhancing people’s mental and physical wellbeing. They also increase feelings of connectedness to and concern for the environment.
