Table 3.
Characteristics of the “most memorable” mescaline experience in the full sample and comparisons of characteristics across mescaline subgroups.
| Characteristic/variable | Total sample | Synthetic | San Pedro | Peyote | Extracted | χ2 or F | Post-hoc | Effect size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 452 | N = 70 | N = 218 | N = 98 | N = 66 | ||||
| M (SD) or % | M (SD) or % | M (SD) or % | M (SD) or % | M (SD) or % | ||||
| Subjective dose | 5.113 | NS | NS | |||||
| Low | 7% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 11% | |||
| Moderate | 33% | 31% | 34% | 32% | 32% | |||
| Moderately high | 33% | 36% | 31% | 32% | 35% | |||
| High | 18% | 16% | 20% | 16% | 15% | |||
| Very high | 10% | 11% | 8% | 12% | 8% | |||
| Number of doses (n = 450) | 1.9 (1.8) | 1.5 (1.3) | 1.6 (1.4) | 2.9 (2.5) | 1.6 (1.9) | 13.525** | P > S = SP = E | 0.08 |
| Duration of experience | 16.995* | 0.19 | ||||||
| Less than 7 h | 21% | 26% | 16% | 32% | 17% | P > SP | ||
| 8–10 h | 24% | 31% | 23% | 20% | 24% | |||
| 11–13 h | 26% | 21% | 30% | 19% | 26% | |||
| More than 13 h | 29% | 21% | 30% | 29% | 33% | |||
| Number of previous mescaline experiences (n = 451) | 3.2 (5.3) | 2.6 (4.4) | 2.9 (5.0) | 4.2 (6.2) | 3.4 (5.8) | 1.645 | NS | NS |
| Number of mescaline Experiences since (n = 451) | 4.2 (6.5) | 3.0 (5.1) | 3.9 (6.1) | 5.5 (7.9) | 4.3 (6.7) | 2.356 | NS | NS |
| Location | 24.363** | 0.23 | ||||||
| Indoors | 34% | 39% | 38% | 18% | 42% | P < S = SP = E | ||
| Outdoors | 41% | 43% | 42% | 40% | 36% | NS | ||
| Other (e.g. festival) | 25% | 19% | 21% | 42% | 21% | P > S = SP = E | ||
| Source of mescaline | 122.398** | 0.52 | ||||||
| Purchased | 37% | 69% | 34% | 19% | 41% | SP = P < E < S | ||
| Gifted | 11% | 16% | 6% | 17% | 14% | SP < S = P | ||
| Grew/Found | 21% | 0% | 30% | 10% | 30% | S < P < SP = E | ||
| Provided (e.g. ceremony) | 24% | 1% | 28% | 43% | 5% | E = S < SP < P | ||
| Other | 8% | 14% | 4% | 10% | 11% | S > SP | ||
| Who administered the mescaline | 46.246** | 0.32 | ||||||
| Self-administration | 72% | 93% | 67% | 57% | 88% | S = E > SP = P | ||
| Shamanic practitioner | 20% | 1% | 27% | 31% | 3% | S = E < SP = P | ||
| Other (e.g. peer and friend) | 8% | 6% | 6% | 12% | 9% | NS | ||
| Main reason for consuming mescaline (n = 451) | 7.422 | NS | NS | |||||
| Explore/connect | 81% | 80% | 83% | 81% | 77% | |||
| Treatment/healing | 7% | 4% | 9% | 6% | 5% | |||
| Other (e.g. recreation) | 12% | 16% | 9% | 12% | 18% | |||
| Intensity of acute effects | ||||||||
| Mystical-type effects | 3.2 (1.1) | 3.1 (1.1) | 3.2 (1.1) | 3.3 (1.0) | 3.2 (1.1) | 0.247 | NS | NS |
| Challenging effects | 0.6 (0.6) | 0.6 (0.6) | 0.7 (0.7) | 0.6 (0.5) | 0.6 (0.5) | 0.924 | NS | NS |
| Psychological insight effects | 2.4 (1.1) | 2.1 (1.2) | 2.4 (1.1) | 2.5 (1.0) | 2.2 (1.2) | 2.085 | NS | NS |
| Ego-dissolution effects | 2.4 (1.3) | 2.3 (1.3) | 2.4 (1.3) | 2.4 (1.3) | 2.4 (1.3) | 0.202 | NS | NS |
| Personally meaningful | 4.6 (1.4) | 4.6 (1.4) | 4.6 (1.4) | 4.8 (1.3) | 4.1 (1.6) | 2.810* | P > E | .02 |
| Spiritually significant | 4.4 (1.8) | 4.3 (1.9) | 4.4 (1.8) | 4.7 (1.7) | 4.1 (2.0) | 1.436 | NS | NS |
| Psychologically challenging | 2.8 (2.0) | 2.5 (2.2) | 2.7 (2.0) | 3.1 (2.0) | 2.8 (2.0) | 1.629 | NS | NS |
| Psychologically insightful | 4.1 (7.8) | 4.2 (1.8) | 4.1 (1.8) | 4.4 (1.6) | 3.8 (1.9) | 1.484 | NS | NS |
| Enduring effects (changes in) | ||||||||
| Well-being/life satisfaction | 2.1 (1.0) | 2.1 (0.9) | 2.1 (1.0) | 2.1 (1.0) | 1.8 (1.1) | 1.792 | NS | NS |
| Life’s purpose | 1.8 (1.1) | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.8 (1.1) | 2.0 (1.1) | 1.6 (1.2) | 2.546 | NS | NS |
| Life’s meaning | 1.8 (1.1) | 1.7 (1.1) | 1.8 (1.1) | 2.0 (1.1) | 1.5 (1.1) | 2.334 | NS | NS |
| Social relationships | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.5 (1.2) | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.7 (1.3) | 1.4 (1.1) | 0.687 | NS | NS |
| Attitudes about life | 1.9 (1.1) | 1.9 (1.0) | 1.9 (1.0) | 2.0 (1.1) | 1.7 (1.1) | 1.337 | NS | NS |
| Attitudes about self | 1.8 (1.1) | 1.6 (1.0) | 1.8 (1.1) | 1.9 (1.1) | 1.7 (1.2) | 1.234 | NS | NS |
| Relationship to nature | 2.0 (1.1) | 1.9 (1.0) | 2.0 (1.1) | 2.2 (1.1) | 1.9 (1.1) | 1.296 | NS | NS |
| Behaviors | 1.5 (1.1) | 1.4 (1.1) | 1.6 (1.1) | 1.5 (1.1) | 1.9 (1.1) | 0.669 | NS | NS |
| How spiritual you are | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.9 (1.2) | 1.3 (1.1) | 2.870* | P > E | 0.02 |
| Attitudes about death | 1.2 (1.2) | 1.1 (1.2) | 1.2 (1.2) | 1.3 (1.3) | 1.2 (1.2) | 0.498 | NS | NS |
| Views regarding the true nature of reality and the universe | 1.7 (1.2) | 1.7 (1.1) | 1.7 (1.2) | 1.9 (1.2) | 1.3 (1.3) | 3.089* | P > E | 0.02 |
| Mental health conditions before mescaline experience (Yes) | ||||||||
| Depression | 44% | 40% | 47% | 40% | 44% | 1.522 | NS | NS |
| Anxiety | 49% | 49% | 54% | 39% | 52% | 5.521 | NS | NS |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder | 17% | 13% | 16% | 18% | 22% | 2.011 | NS | NS |
| Alcohol misuse/AUD | 17% | 22% | 14% | 19% | 18% | 3.117 | NS | NS |
| Drug misuse/DUD | 20% | 24% | 17% | 18% | 28% | 4.498 | NS | NS |
| Mental health conditions improve after experience (vs worsen/stay the same) a | ||||||||
| Depression | 86% | 89% | 87% | 83% | 86% | 0.449 | NS | NS |
| Anxiety | 80% | 78% | 83% | 75% | 76% | 1.399 | NS | NS |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder | 76% | 78% | 75% | 88% | 64% | 2.504 | NS | NS |
| Alcohol misuse/AUD | 67% | 67% | 66% | 77% | 55% | 1.480 | NS | NS |
| Drug misuse/DUD | 68% | 81% | 60% | 82% | 59% | 4.603 | NS | NS |
Variables may not equal 100% due to rounding error. N is varied due to participants choosing “prefer not to answer” on specific items. Scores of the mystical-type, challenging, insight, and ego-dissolution effects can range from 0 to 5. Ratings of personal meaning, spiritual significance, psychological challenge, and psychological insight can range from 0 to 7. Ratings of enduring effects can range from −3 to +3.
AUD: alcohol use disorder; DUD: drug use disorder; E: extracted; NS: non-significant; P: Peyote; S: synthetic; SP: San Pedro.
a
Among those who reported having the psychiatric condition.
*
p < 0.05. **p < 0.001.