Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)Dec 31, 2025

The helioscope effect: A new way to understand trauma-related memories during psychedelic experiences

Psychedelic Science Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jun 28, 2026

Abstract

Essence

A new Helioscope Questionnaire may capture trauma-related memory processing during psychedelic experiences, and higher scores were linked to more positive reported lasting effects.

Evidence

A cross-sectional internet survey of 468 self-reported psychedelic or MDMA users developed and psychometrically tested a 21-item memory-processing scale.

Caveat

The evidence is cross-sectional and self-reported in a nonclinical sample, so it supports scale validity more than treatment outcome prediction.

Simplified

BACKGROUND: Existing tools assess psychedelic experiences, but none specifically measure altered processing of traumatic memories-a key mechanism in trauma-focused therapies and psychotherapy in general. The helioscope effect describes how psychedelics like psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) enable revisiting challenging or traumatic experiences while remaining protected from re-actualization of trauma symptoms. This study introduces and evaluates the Helioscope Questionnaire, a novel scale for assessing memory-related processing during psychedelic experiences.

METHOD: A cross-sectional, Internet-based survey was administered to 468 individuals (mean age = 32.9; 66.7% male) with self-reported psychedelic/MDMA use.

RESULTS: The final Helioscope Questionnaire comprised 21 items across 3 factors:,, and-. A composite Helioscope Score (HS) was derived from protection and exposure subscales. Convergent validity was demonstrated through strong correlations with the Psychological Insight Questionnaire. Discriminant validity was evidenced by moderate associations with the Mystical Experience Questionnaire and a lack of significant correlations with the Challenging Experience Questionnaire. Predictive validity was supported by the HS predicting positive changes in mood and attitude on the Persisting Effects Questionnaire, whereaspredicted negative changes. The scale also demonstrated incremental validity by providing explanatory power beyond established psychedelic effect measures. Additionally, the presence of a trip sitter was associated with stronger HS scores, and MDMA use was linked to reduced avoidant distress. protection exposure avoidant distress avoidant-distress

CONCLUSIONS: The Helioscope Questionnaire offers a novel, psychometrically robust tool for assessing therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelic experiences, particularly in relation to processing of difficult memories. Further research in clinical populations is warranted to evaluate its utility in predicting treatment outcomes.