Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40140019›Full record

Trial reportPsychopharmacology2025

Motivation and retrospective appraisal of psychedelic study participation: a qualitative study in healthy volunteers.

Laura Ley, Matthias E Liechti, Anna M Becker, Isabelle Straumann, Aaron Klaiber, Friederike Holze, Severin B Vogt, Denis Arikci, Yasmin Schmid

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Acute and post-acute neurobehavioral responses to lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy subjects: a randomized controlled study.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Trial
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Laura LeyClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Matthias E LiechtiClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Anna M BeckerClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Isabelle StraumannClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Aaron KlaiberClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Friederike HolzeClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Severin B VogtClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Denis ArikciClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Yasmin SchmidClinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland. yasmin.schmid@usb.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3618-584X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleLittle is known about motives of healthy volunteers to participate in psychedelic trials and how they appraise their study experience retrospectively.

objectivesThis paper explored reasons why healthy people register for psychedelic trials, factors that they considered to contribute to either positive or negative study experiences, and under which circumstances they would seek a psychedelic experience again.

methodsThis study used the data of 151 healthy volunteers who had ingested serotonergic psychedelics in one of six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trials at the same research site under similar conditions. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis.

resultsThe predominant motivations to participate in a trial were interest in psychedelics and an appealing setting. Expectations involved personal development and the occurrence of typical psychedelic effects. Hopes included transformative processes. The setting factors that promoted a positive experience were music and access to nature, whereas the sterile hospital environment was considered bothersome. Most participants valued the trusting relationship with their investigator. The most commonly criticized investigator characteristics were a perceived lack of support and investigator-induced psychological discomfort. Most participants considered their expectations exceeded and would take the study substances again, preferably in a setting in nature with friends.

conclusionsThis paper identified four pivotal factors to be considered for psychedelic study experiences: (1) a secure interpersonal relationship, (2) an aesthetically pleasing environment, (3) access to nature, and (4) the use of music. This analysis reveals subjective views of volunteers in psychedelic Phase-I trials and may improve research standards.

Indexed as

HallucinogensHealthy VolunteersMotivationAdolescentAdultCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRetrospective StudiesYoung AdultHallucinogensAppraisalDimethyltryptamineHealthy volunteersLysergic acid diethylamideMescalineMotivationPsilocybinPsychedelics

Identifiers

PMID40140019
PMCPMC12296967

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.