Unlocking a Wider World: How Psychedelic Journeys Can Expand Our Sense of Care
Have you ever wondered if there’s more to life than what we see and experience every day? Many people are curious about how to live a more meaningful life, one filled with purpose and a deeper connection to the world around them. Recently, scientists have been exploring how certain substances, known as psychedelics, might play a role in this journey of discovery. This isn't about just getting high; it's about understanding how these experiences, when approached thoughtfully, could help us grow as individuals and care more about others and our planet. For people who are thinking about psychedelic psychotherapy but feel a bit unsure, it's important to know that this is a serious area of research. Scientists are carefully studying how these substances affect our minds and emotions. One exciting idea is that meaningful psychedelic experiences can lead to something called “moral expansiveness.” This sounds complicated, but it simply means widening the circle of things we care about. It’s like going from only caring about your close family and friends to also caring deeply about people in other countries, animals, and even the environment.
What Does it Mean to Have a “Meaningful” Psychedelic Experience?
When researchers talk about a “meaningful” psychedelic experience, they’re not just talking about seeing pretty colors or having strange thoughts. A meaningful experience is often one that feels deeply personal and significant. People might feel a sense of connection to something larger than themselves, a feeling of awe or wonder, or a new understanding of their place in the world. These experiences can be powerful and sometimes even life-changing. Think about a time you felt truly amazed by something – maybe watching a beautiful sunset, listening to a powerful piece of music, or feeling a deep connection with another person. Psychedelic experiences can sometimes create similar feelings, but often with even greater intensity. These feelings are not just fleeting; they can leave a lasting impression on how a person sees themselves and the world. One key part of these meaningful experiences is often something called “ego dissolution.” Our ego is our sense of self, the part of us that says “I” and “me.” Sometimes, our ego can make us feel separate from others and the world. During a psychedelic experience, this sense of a separate self can temporarily fade away. People might feel like they are part of everything, a sense of oneness with the universe. This can be a very profound feeling and can help people see beyond their own personal concerns.
Expanding Our Moral Circle: What is Moral Expansiveness?
Moral expansiveness is a term psychologists use to describe how wide our circle of moral concern is. Who or what do we believe deserves our care and protection? For some people, this circle might be quite small, including only their immediate family and close friends. For others, the circle might be much larger, including all human beings, animals, plants, and even abstract ideas like justice or future generations. Imagine your moral circle like a series of rings. In the center are those you care about most. As you move outwards, the rings include beings or things you care about a little less, or perhaps not at all. Moral expansiveness is about pushing those outer rings further out, including more and more in your circle of care. Why is this important? Well, many of the big problems we face in the world today, like climate change, social inequality, or conflicts between groups, often stem from a lack of moral expansiveness. If we only care about our own small group, it’s harder to work together to solve these larger issues. Expanding our moral circle can lead to more compassion, more understanding, and a greater willingness to help others, even those who are very different from us.
The Link: Psychedelics, Meaning, and a Bigger Heart
So, how do meaningful psychedelic experiences connect to this idea of moral expansiveness? A recent study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs explored this very question. Researchers Will Olteanu and Sam G. Moreton looked at adults who had a meaningful psychedelic experience in the past. They asked these individuals about their experience and measured their level of moral expansiveness before and after the experience. The findings were quite interesting. The study found that people who reported having a meaningful psychedelic experience also reported an increase in their moral expansiveness. In other words, after their experience, they felt that more entities – people, animals, nature – were worthy of their moral concern and protection. This suggests that these powerful experiences might actually help people to care more broadly. What was it about these experiences that led to this change? The researchers found that feelings of ego dissolution, mystical experiences (like feeling a sense of sacredness or ultimate reality), and strong emotions like admiration and being deeply moved during the psychedelic journey were all linked to this increase in moral expansiveness. When people felt that profound sense of connection and awe, it seemed to open up their hearts and minds to a wider range of concerns. It’s like the experience shakes up your usual way of seeing things. When the boundaries of your “self” feel less rigid, it might be easier to see how interconnected everything is. If you feel a deep sense of awe for nature during an experience, you might be more likely to care about protecting the environment afterwards.
Admiration and Awe: Lasting Emotional Shifts
The study also found something else important: this heightened moral expansiveness was linked to longer-term changes in how often people felt emotions like admiration and awe. Admiration is that feeling of respect and wonder you get when you see something excellent or noble. Awe is that feeling of being in the presence of something vast and overwhelming that challenges your understanding of the world – like looking up at a sky full of stars. These emotions are sometimes called “self-transcendent” emotions because they help us look beyond ourselves and our own immediate needs. They connect us to something bigger. The research suggests that after a meaningful psychedelic experience, people might be more prone to feeling these positive, connecting emotions in their everyday lives. This, in turn, could reinforce their expanded sense of moral concern. Imagine if you started noticing more things to admire in people around you, or if you found yourself more often struck by the beauty and wonder of the natural world. These small shifts in your emotional landscape could gradually lead to a bigger shift in how you view your responsibilities to others and the planet.
What Does This Mean for Psychedelic Psychotherapy?
For those considering psychedelic psychotherapy, this research offers a hopeful perspective. It suggests that these therapies, when conducted safely and with proper support, might do more than just help with specific mental health conditions. They might also help people cultivate a deeper sense of meaning, connection, and care for the world. It’s important to remember that this is still an emerging area of research. The study mentioned was retrospective, meaning people reported on past experiences, which can sometimes be influenced by memory. More research, especially studies that follow people over time, is needed to fully understand these effects and how they happen. However, the idea that psychedelic experiences could foster moral growth is a powerful one. If these experiences can help people expand their moral circles, they could have positive implications not just for individuals, but for society as a whole. It points towards a potential where healing ourselves can also mean healing our relationship with the wider world. If you are uncertain about psychedelic psychotherapy, it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can from reliable sources and talk to healthcare professionals. This research into moral expansiveness is just one piece of a larger puzzle, but it highlights the profound and potentially positive ways these experiences can shape our understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe. Perhaps the journey towards a higher purpose, a more meaningful life, and a greater sense of connection isn't just about looking inward, but also about expanding our hearts outward to embrace a wider world of care.
Disclaimer: Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy has not been approved by any regulatory agencies in the United States, and the safety and efficacy are still not formally established at the time of this writing.
References
Olteanu, W., & Moreton, S. G. (2025). Meaningful Psychedelic Experiences Predict Increased Moral Expansiveness. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1–9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2025.2478095
Hedrih, V. (2025, April 3). Can psychedelics make you a more moral person? New study explores the link. PsyPost. https://www.psypost.org/can-psychedelics-make-you-a-more-moral-person-new-study-explores-the-link/
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). Meaningful Psychedelic Experiences Predict Increased Moral Expansiveness. PubMed. Retrieved May 14, 2025, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40071609/