Of those reporting a history of being diagnosed with depression (n=149; 41%) or anxiety (n=173; 48%), most reported symptoms were improved (depression=81%; anxiety=79%) following 5-MeO-DMT use and relatively fewer reported symptoms remained the same (depression=17%; anxiety=19%) or worsened (depression=3%; anxiety=2%). Referring to their first session with 5-MeO-DMT, there were no differences in the intensity of acute challenging experiences (e.g., fear, grief, paranoia) between groups (improved vs same/worsened). However, there were differences in the intensity of acute mystical experiences (e.g., transcendence, euphoria, noetic realizations), such that those whose depression or anxiety symptoms improved after 5-MeO-DMT use reported more intense mystical experiences compared to those whose symptoms were the same/worsened. Lastly, those who reported improvements in depression or anxiety rated their first 5-MeO-DMT experience as more spiritually/personally meaningful, and as contributing more to their well-being, compared to those whose depression or anxiety were the same/worsened. Findings suggest that use of 5-MeO-DMT is related to improvements in depression and anxiety, which are associated with acute mystical and persisting beliefs about the effects of 5-MeO-DMT. Future research should examine both the safety, and possible therapeutic efficacy, of 5-MeO-DMT administration in humans using rigorous experimental designs.
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