Psilocybin Enhances Religious Practices in Clergy

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Psychedelic Medicine showed that psilocybin administration in a sample of clergy from major world religions increased multiple domains of overall psychological well-being, including positive changes in religious attitudes and behavior as well as effectiveness in their vocation as a religious leader.

The late Roland Griffiths, of Johns Hopkins University, along with Stephen Ross and Anthony Bossis, from New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and coauthors, compared a control group of participants to psychedelic-naïve clergy from various major world religions who received two psilocybin sessions: 20 and then 20 or 30 mg/70 kg about 1 month later.

Compared to the control group, “participants who had received psilocybin reported significantly greater positive changes in their religious practices, attitudes about their religions, and effectiveness as a religious leader, as well as in their non-religious attitudes, moods, and behavior,” reported the investigators. “Follow-up assessments showed that positive changes in religious and non-religious attitudes and behavior were sustained through 16 months after the second psilocybin session.”

Participants rated at least one of their psilocybin experiences to be among the top 5 most spiritually significant (96%), profoundly sacred (92%), psychologically insightful (83%), and psychologically meaningful (79%) of their lives.

Reference: 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 Med. 2025:psymed.2023.0044. doi: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0044

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