Frontiers in psychiatrySep 23, 2026

Mystical experiences, but not challenging ones, predict symptom improvement after psilocybin for hard-to-treat OCD

Psychedelic Science Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Sep 24, 2026

Abstract

Mystical-type experiences during psilocybin treatment may predict clinical effects in various psychiatric conditions.

Psilocybin treatment has demonstrated potential benefits for depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Acute subjective experiences during psilocybin dosing sessions may be linked to treatment outcomes.
No research has yet investigated the relationship between these experiences and treatment response in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Simplified

Psilocybin treatment has shown promise across a range of psychiatric conditions. Mystical-type experiences during dosing sessions have been shown to predict the clinical effects of psilocybin treatment in depression, anxiety, and addiction. However, no studies have examined whether acute subjective experiences predict treatment response in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

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