RESEARCH
Real-World Psychedelic Research
Where experience meets science with a soul, we’re building one of the largest real-world collections on psychedelic use, from therapy to ceremony and personal journeys.
Psychedelic Research For The People, By The People
We were founded to conduct research for the people, by the people and provide data freely to the public for psychedelic education and guidance. Our parent nonprofit, Realm of Caring, has informed 22 states as they worked to legalize cannabis. We’re doing the same for psychedelics.
Our psilocybin study, conducted in 2020, is still the largest in the world with over 8000 participants. Our first publication (of many) from the study has more views than 99% of all published articles on Frontiers in Psychiatry.
In partnership with leading institutions such as Johns Hopkins, UCSF, Imperial College London, MIT and Harvard, our research goes beyond the clinical lab to reflect how psychedelics are actually used in everyday life. By analyzing outcomes from lived experience, we’re shaping education, informing public policy, supporting harm reduction and meeting the evolving needs of communities seeking healing through natural medicine.
Interested in conducting a study? Reach out to our team.
Research Collaborators
The Psychedelic Community Research Roadmap
Over the years, we’ve heard countless ideas for thoughtful and important research. Every project takes real funding, real visibility and real engagement to come to life. That’s why we’re creating the research roadmap: to give voice (and credit!) to your ideas as they shape the future of psychedelic science.
The roadmap will showcase what matters to our community, helping to prioritize funding opportunities. Additionally, we often get questions from Info Line callers that we can’t answer with research. We see that feedback as a call-to-action. As we build out the online roadmap, you can upvote ideas or submit your own to co-create what comes next.
Featured Published Research
See how our work is making headlines and shaping the conversation around psychedelic research.
Lexicon for Psychedelic Research and Treatment
Despite much progress in psychedelic research, the field lacks standardized terminology to guide clinical development, dosing, safety monitoring, and regulatory classification. Here, we present a comprehensive framework for psychedelic nomenclature based on pharmacology, subjective effects, dosing, and therapeutic use.
Read our blog about the research for an overview.
Impacts of Ceremonial Ayahuasca Experiences in the LGBTQ+ Community
In partnership with the Queer Wellness Collective and the Jungle Gayborhood, we conducted a naturalistic study with LGBTQ+ participants at an ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica. The study examined the impact on mental health, identity, social well-being, and more.
Read our blog about the research for an overview.
Psilocybin and Metaphysical Beliefs
After non-clinical psilocybin consumption, we observed increases in mind perception across a variety of living and non-living targets (like plants and rocks). However, we found little to no change in metaphysical beliefs or Atheist-Believer status.
Read our blog about the research for an overview.
Psychological Benefits of Ayahusca for Immigrants and Refugees
This study is one of the first to shed light on the potential therapeutic benefits of ceremonial ayahuasca use for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrants and refugees. This historically underrepresented demographic, many of whom have faced significant trauma related to migration, war, and persecution, saw lasting benefits following the cermony.
Read our blog about the research for an overview.
Naturalistic Psilocybin Usage and Race
This study of naturalistic psilocybin usage found significant differences in persisting psilocybin effects in the domains of spiritual wellbeing, cognitive flexibility, and expressive suppression for White participants vs. Participants of Color.
Read our blog about the research for an overview.
Custom Research Services
We collect data from people using psychedelics in the real world, in therapeutic, ceremonial and private settings. Unlike lab-based trials, analyzing outcomes from lived experience delivers practical data for community support, product development, investment direction and policy change.
Our suite of naturalistic research services is fully customizable:
- Research Consulting
- Preliminary Scoping
- Study Design and Review
- IRB Approval and HIPAA Compliance
- Participant Recruiting
- Data Collection and Management
- Data Analysis and Reporting
- Market Landscape Benchmarking
- Academic Paper Writing and Publication
Interested in our research services? Reach out to our team.
Impactful Real-World Studies
With 25+ published papers and 125+ years of combined experience, our research team leads the industry in real-world studies that move the needle. We work with clients in:
- Academia to quickly scale their efforts with research staff augmentation
- Consumer Products to measure product outcomes, and validate structure function claims
- Non-profits to conduct studies that give voice to the community they serve
- Biotechnology to test the effectiveness of new substances and direct future investments
- Retreats and Healing Centers to document how their practices are resulting in positive outcomes