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Study Finds Psychedelics and Meditation Spark Strikingly Similar Insights That Boost Wellbeing

Michael Levin

A new international study is blurring the lines between psychedelic journeys and deep meditation, finding that both can generate nearly identical types of transformative insights linked to improvements in wellbeing.

Published in Consciousness and Cognition, the research reviewed 213 personal narratives 147 describing meaningful psychedelic use and 66 detailing significant meditation experiences. The results: “Insights were highly similar between meditation and psychedelics… Metacognitive, mystical, and value insights predict wellbeing improvements,” the authors wrote.

Mystical-style insights (such as feelings of unity or encounters with the metaphysical) were more commonly reported in meditation accounts, while “value insights” reflections on personal priorities, compassion, and meaning were more often tied to psychedelics. But overall, the differences were minor, and both practices produced a broad spectrum of mystical, psychological, and existential realizations.

The study, led by researchers from universities in Finland, Sweden, and Stanford in the U.S., reinforces the notion that life-altering insights aren’t exclusive to substances like LSD, psilocybin, or MDMA they can also emerge through non-drug practices like meditation.

Notably, the team found that insights across both categories were strongly associated with perceived improvements in wellbeing. Many participants also described experiences that existing scientific questionnaires failed to capture, suggesting current research tools may underestimate the depth and diversity of these transformative states.

The findings build on a growing body of research exploring the overlap between contemplative practices and psychedelics. Earlier this year, a PLoS ONE study found that nearly three in four regular meditators reported psychedelics improved the quality of their practice. Other studies have highlighted how cannabis combined with yoga, or psilocybin in different forms, can shape states of mindfulness, mysticality, and even perceptions of consciousness in unexpected ways.

Together, the emerging science suggests that whether through a guided trip or a quiet cushion, humans may be tapping into the same well of transformative potential one that can reshape how we see ourselves, our values, and the world around us.