The Spiritual Side of Healing: How Psychedelic Therapy Can Both Challenge and Strengthen Your Faith
When Jennifer first considered psilocybin therapy for her treatment-resistant depression, her biggest concern wasn't about side effects or safety protocols. As a deeply religious person, she worried about how a psychedelic experience might affect her faith. Would it challenge her beliefs? Would it bring her closer to God or push her away? These questions kept her awake at night as she weighed her treatment options. Jennifer's concerns reflect a reality that many people face when considering psychedelic therapy: these treatments don't just affect brain chemistry and mood – they often have profound impacts on people's spiritual lives. For some, this spiritual dimension is part of what makes psychedelic therapy so powerful. For others, it represents a significant source of anxiety and uncertainty.
New research is shedding light on this complex relationship between psychedelic experiences and spirituality. A comprehensive study published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality found that psychedelic experiences are just as likely to cause spiritual struggles as they are to resolve them [1]. This finding challenges simple narratives about psychedelics either enhancing or undermining spirituality, revealing instead a much more nuanced picture that people considering these treatments need to understand.
The Spiritual Struggles Study: What Researchers Discovered
The research that's helping us understand the spiritual dimensions of psychedelic therapy comes from William Schutt, a PhD student at Case Western Reserve University, and his colleagues. Their study included 574 U.S. adults who had previously used psychedelics and examined how these experiences affected six different types of spiritual struggles: conflicts with God, perceived attacks by evil forces, religious doubt, moral conflicts, interpersonal tensions related to religion, and struggles with ultimate meaning [1].
What the researchers found was surprising, even to them. Contrary to the common narrative that psychedelics primarily enhance spiritual growth and connection, the study revealed that psychedelic experiences were equally likely to cause spiritual struggles as they were to resolve them. As Schutt explained, "I was surprised that past psychedelic use alleviated/helped and caused/worsened spiritual struggles a little bit, on average, with no significant difference in the extent to which psychedelics resolved/helped and caused/worsened spiritual struggles" [1]. Among the different types of spiritual struggles, issues with ultimate meaning and religious doubt were the most frequently reported, whether psychedelics had helped or harmed participants spiritually. This makes sense when we consider that psychedelic experiences often involve profound shifts in perception and consciousness that can challenge existing beliefs about reality, purpose, and the nature of existence.
The study went beyond just measuring whether spiritual struggles increased or decreased. Researchers conducted detailed follow-up surveys with participants who reported that psychedelics had either resolved or caused spiritual struggles, providing rich insights into how these experiences unfold and what factors influence their outcomes. Participants who described experiences of spiritual struggle resolution reported more mystical features during their psychedelic experiences – such as feelings of unity, transcendence, and connection with something greater than themselves. They also described long-term benefits including "greater clarity, a deeper sense of purpose, and improved relationships with death, loss, or the sacred" [1]. Many attributed these benefits to psychological factors like gaining new perspectives, reducing stress, or learning to let go of control. Others described more overtly spiritual interpretations, such as encountering a divine presence or receiving guidance from otherworldly realms.
In contrast, participants who reported that psychedelics caused or worsened their spiritual struggles described more distressing features in their experiences. These included "overwhelming hallucinations, terrifying entity encounters, and deepened confusion or doubt about spiritual matters" [1]. The most common reason given for struggle causation was that the psychedelic experience challenged existing religious or spiritual beliefs, leading to increased uncertainty and confusion about fundamental questions of faith and meaning.
Perhaps most importantly, the study revealed that many participants described mixed experiences. Some said that the same psychedelic trip both deepened their spiritual confusion and ultimately helped them grow spiritually. The researchers found that mystical and challenging elements of psychedelic experiences were largely independent, meaning that a single experience could be both spiritually transformative and spiritually distressing at the same time.
Understanding Spiritual Struggles and Their Impact on Mental Health
To fully appreciate the significance of these research findings, it's important to understand what spiritual struggles are and how they affect mental health. Spiritual struggles involve tension or conflict related to beliefs about what is sacred. They can manifest in many different ways, from questioning the existence or nature of God to feeling abandoned by a higher power during times of crisis. Research has consistently shown that spiritual struggles are linked to both psychological distress and, paradoxically, long-term spiritual growth. People experiencing spiritual struggles often report higher levels of anxiety, depression, and general psychological distress in the short term. However, those who successfully work through these struggles often emerge with deeper, more mature spiritual beliefs and greater psychological resilience.
The six types of spiritual struggles examined in the psychedelic study each represent different ways that people can experience spiritual distress. Divine struggles involve feeling angry at God, questioning God's love, or feeling abandoned by a higher power. Demonic struggles involve feeling attacked by evil forces or the devil. Doubt struggles center on questioning religious or spiritual beliefs. Moral struggles involve feeling guilty about religious or moral failures. Interpersonal struggles involve conflicts with religious communities or leaders. Ultimate meaning struggles involve questioning the meaning and purpose of life itself.
For people considering psychedelic therapy, understanding these different types of struggles is important because psychedelic experiences can potentially trigger or intensify any of them. A person who has never questioned their religious beliefs might find themselves experiencing profound doubt after a psychedelic experience that challenges their understanding of reality. Someone who has always felt connected to their religious community might find themselves feeling alienated if their psychedelic experience leads them to beliefs that conflict with their community's teachings.
The research also revealed important individual differences in who is more likely to experience spiritual struggle resolution versus causation. Participants who were younger and more religious reported stronger effects of psychedelics on both struggle resolution and causation, suggesting that people with more active spiritual lives may be more susceptible to both positive and negative spiritual effects from psychedelics. Participants who identified as "spiritual but not religious" and who held positive views about psychedelics were more likely to report struggle resolution. This makes intuitive sense, as people who are already open to non-traditional spiritual experiences and who view psychedelics positively may be better prepared to integrate challenging spiritual experiences in constructive ways.
In contrast, participants who identified as Christian, had concerns about substance use or addiction, or viewed psychedelics as potentially demonic were more likely to report struggle causation. This suggests that people whose religious or cultural background creates conflict with psychedelic use may be at higher risk for negative spiritual outcomes. These findings don't mean that people from traditional religious backgrounds should avoid psychedelic therapy, but they do suggest that extra care and preparation may be needed to help these individuals navigate potential spiritual challenges that might arise during treatment.
Preparing for the Spiritual Aspects of Psychedelic Therapy
Given the research findings about spiritual struggles, how can people considering psychedelic therapy prepare for and navigate the spiritual dimensions of these experiences? The key is thoughtful preparation, appropriate support, and realistic expectations about what might unfold. Setting clear intentions before a psychedelic experience can help provide a framework for processing whatever spiritual content emerges. This doesn't mean trying to control the experience, but rather approaching it with clarity about your values, beliefs, and what you hope to gain from the treatment. People with strong religious or spiritual backgrounds might benefit from discussing their beliefs with their therapist beforehand and exploring how their faith tradition might inform their approach to the experience.
Working with therapists who understand and respect diverse spiritual perspectives is crucial. Not all psychedelic therapists have training in religious or spiritual issues, so it's important to find providers who can support you regardless of your spiritual background. Some people benefit from working with therapists who share their religious tradition, while others prefer providers who take a more secular approach. The key is finding someone who can help you integrate whatever spiritual content emerges in a way that's consistent with your values and beliefs.
Integration practices after the psychedelic experience are particularly important for processing spiritual content. This might involve traditional practices like prayer, meditation, or religious study, or it might involve newer approaches like journaling, art therapy, or spiritual direction. Many people find it helpful to work with both their psychedelic therapist and their regular spiritual advisor or religious leader to make sense of their experience.
It's also important to prepare for the possibility that a psychedelic experience might challenge or change your spiritual beliefs. This doesn't necessarily mean losing your faith, but it might mean developing a more complex or nuanced understanding of your spiritual life. Some people find that psychedelic experiences deepen their existing beliefs, while others discover new spiritual perspectives that they hadn't previously considered.
Who Should Be Especially Cautious
While the research shows that psychedelic experiences can lead to spiritual growth for many people, certain individuals may be at higher risk for problematic spiritual outcomes. People whose religious communities strongly condemn psychedelic use may face difficult choices between their treatment needs and their community relationships. Those who have rigid or fundamentalist religious beliefs may find psychedelic experiences particularly challenging to integrate.
People with a history of religious trauma or spiritual abuse may also need extra support when navigating the spiritual dimensions of psychedelic therapy. While these experiences can sometimes be healing for people with religious trauma, they can also potentially re-traumatize individuals who haven't adequately processed their previous spiritual wounds. It's worth noting that having risk factors doesn't necessarily mean someone should avoid psychedelic therapy, but it does mean that extra care and preparation may be needed. Working with therapists who have specific training in religious and spiritual issues can be particularly important for people in these categories.
Finding Balance in the Spiritual Journey
The research on spiritual struggles and psychedelic experiences reveals a complex picture that defies simple generalizations. As study author William Schutt noted, "The relationship between psychedelic experiences and spirituality is complicated and can differ depending on the type of spiritual struggle experienced" [1]. For people considering psychedelic therapy, this complexity means that spiritual outcomes can't be predicted with certainty, but they can be prepared for and supported. Perhaps the most important takeaway from this research is that spiritual struggles, while challenging, are not necessarily negative outcomes. Many of the participants who experienced spiritual struggles also reported spiritual growth, suggesting that the process of wrestling with difficult spiritual questions can ultimately lead to deeper and more authentic spiritual lives.
For people like Jennifer, who was worried about how psychedelic therapy might affect her faith, this research offers both reassurance and realistic expectations. While there's no guarantee that psychedelic therapy will strengthen her spiritual life, there's also no reason to assume it will undermine it. With proper preparation, appropriate support, and realistic expectations, people from all spiritual backgrounds can potentially benefit from psychedelic therapy while honoring their spiritual values and beliefs. The key is approaching these treatments with both openness and wisdom, recognizing that spiritual growth often involves periods of questioning and uncertainty, and that the most profound spiritual insights sometimes emerge from our willingness to sit with difficult questions rather than demanding easy answers.
References
[1] Dolan, E. W. (2025, June 12). Psychedelic experiences can both cause and resolve spiritual struggles, study suggests. PsyPost. https://www.psypost.org/psychedelic-experiences-can-both-cause-and-resolve-spiritual-struggles-study-suggests/
[2] Schipper, S., Nigam, K., Schmid, Y., Piechotta, V., Ljuslin, M., Beaussant, Y., Schwarzer, G., & Boehlke, C. (2024). Psychedelic-assisted therapy for treating anxiety, depression, and existential distress in people with life-threatening diseases. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9(9), CD015383. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39260823/