The Promises and Pitfalls of Psychedelic Use Among Religious Leaders

Pahnke WN . Drugs and mysticism: An analysis of the relationship between psychedelic drugs and the mystical consciousness. Thesis: Harvard University; 1963.

Doblin R . Pahnke’s “Good Friday experiment”: A long-term follow-up and methodological critique. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 1991; 23(1):1–28.

Griffiths RR , Richards WA , McCann U , et al. Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2006; 187(3):268–283.

Griffiths RR , Richards WA , Johnson MW , et al. Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later. J Psychopharmacol, 2008; 22(6):621–632.

Griffiths RR , Jesse R , Richards WA , et al. Effects of psilocybin on religious and spiritual attitudes and behaviors in clergy from various major world religions. Psychedelic Medicine, 2025; 3(4):172–191.

Yaden D , Nayak SM , Griffiths R . Belief change and agnostic frames in psychedelic research and clinical contexts. In: Philosophical Perspectives on Psychedelic Psychiatry. ( Letheby C , Gerrans P , Matthews E ., eds). Oxford University Press: Oxford; 2024. pp. 84–166.

Cherniak AD , Granqvist P . How does psychedelic use relate to aspects of religiosity/spirituality? Preregistered report from a birth cohort study and a prospective longitudinal study. Psycholog Relig Spiritual, 2025; 17(3):175–194.

Hartogsohn I . American Trip: Set, Setting, and the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century. The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA; 2020.

Borrell B . The Psychedelic Evangelist. The New York Times; 2024. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/21/health/psychedelics-roland-griffiths-johns-hopkins.html [Last accessed: August 27, 2025].

Pollan M . This Is Your Priest On Drugs. The New Yorker; 2025. Available from: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/05/26/this-is-your-priest-on-drugs [Last accessed: August 27, 2025].

Simonsson O , Johnson MW , Hendricks PS . Psychedelic and MDMA-Related Adverse Effects—A Call for Action. JAMA Health Forum, 2024; 5(11):e243630.

Yaden DB , Potash JB , Griffiths RR . Preparing for the bursting of the psychedelic hype bubble. JAMA Psychiatry, 2022; 79(10):943–944.

Casey M . Psychedelic churches in US pushing boundaries of religion. AP News; 2023. Available from: https://apnews.com/article/psychedelic-churches-ayahuasca-5101fe47fe9a6e28de686272ed96ff46 [Last accessed: April 15, 2025].

Busby M . Inside the Megachurch Where Shrooms and Weed Are Religion. VICE News; 2024. Available from: https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-the-megachurch-where-shrooms-and-weed-are-religion/ [Last accessed: April 15, 2025].

Carhart-Harris RL , Kaelen M , Whalley MG , et al. LSD enhances suggestibility in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2015; 232(4):785–794.

Watson CD . Manson’s Right-Hand Man Speaks Out. Abounding Love Publishers; 2012.