Research Finds Psychedelics May Open Door to Self-
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According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualization is the realization of an individual’s full potential and the complete development of their ability to enjoy and appreciate life. The highest level of psychological development, self-actualization, is only achievable once an individual have met their physiological, safety, belongingness, love and esteem needs. However, life tends to throw plenty of trials and tribulations that act as barriers to self-actualization, with Maslow estimating that just 1% of adults have self-actualized.
Recent research into a federally controlled class of drugs has revealed an interesting fact: psychedelics have the ability to help people self-actualize. Individuals who are self-actualized have accepted themselves and others for who they are, are highly empathetic, and they can harness their creativity and mental faculties to solve complex dilemmas and problems.
A 2020 study whose findings were reported in “Frontiers in Psychology” found that psychedelics can help people achieve self-acceptance by making them open to new, often scary experiences. Psychedelics can help people face psychologically challenging experiences and important emotions by allowing them to face inner experiences and emotions they had been avoiding and let go of previous beliefs.
Another study from the Netherlands showed that psychedelics can heighten creativity, which brings individuals a step closer to self-actualization. Leiden University psychologist and lead researcher Luisa Prochazkov found that using microdoses of psychedelics had a major impact on the creative centers in the brain. Prochazkov said her study suggested that psychedelics could improve creativity by helping people get over past biases and ideas, resulting in an unconstrained and disinhibited cognition that is often associated with creativity.
Psychedelics are also thought to push people closer to self-actualization by increasing their empathy levels. Empathy, which is the ability to see things from other people’s points of view and understand what they feel, is critical to self-actualization.
However, personality traits such as Machiavellianism, neuroticism and disagreeableness can inhibit empathy and prevent an individual from achieving self-actualization. An Imperial College London study found that psychedelics can help people overcome such personality traits, resulting in profound changes in how they view themselves and the world around them. Dr. Brandon Weiss, the study’s lead author, suggests that psychedelics can reduce anxiety levels, increase feelings of connectedness and belonging, and make people more empathetic toward others.
Study participants reported feeling more understanding of other people, less quarrelsome, and reduced levels of anxiety and neurotic traits after a psychedelic experience.
Achieving self-actualization is a difficult, lifelong endeavor. Research indicates that psychedelics can speed up this process by helping people address experiences and personality traits that prevent them from self-actualizing. Even so, make sure you consult a professional if you would like to have a psychedelic experience.
These studies suggest that companies which are conducting R&D aimed at developing novel medicines from psilocybin and other psychedelics, such as Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN), stand a high chance of bringing to market truly revolutionary remedies that will overhaul the way mental health illnesses are currently being treated.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN
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