UC Berkeley Students’ Psychedelic Experiences: A Qualitative Analysis

There has been an emergence in psychedelic science in recent years, in both basic and applied research. Clinical trials have shown psychedelic drugs to be exceptionally effective in treating psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, while other research suggests they may be effective in treating a range of other indications in the future. Outside of the lab, study of illicit psychedelics and college students has shown that use of these drugs does not correlate with higher rates of mental health problems. However, studies like these fail to understand the scope of students’ experiences and may ignore potentially rich perspectives uncovered by qualitative methodologies. Thus, I interviewed 10 students currently enrolled at UC Berkeley in order to understand their psychedelic drug experiences. I found that UC Berkeley students have a wide variety of rich experiences with these drugs, including: 1. empathogenic effects of “classic” psychedelics directed towards peers, 2. connectedness with nature, 3. healing from family trauma, 4. increasing authenticity, 5. continued use defined as a self-directed “journey,” and 6. improving students’ capacity for presence. Adverse reactions brought up by some interviewees included panic attacks, existential distress, and suicidal ideation. Overall, I found that naturalistic use of psychedelics by UC Berkeley students may occasion positive experiences worthy of future research.