Personality psychologists arm wrestle over which aspects of our personalities change over time, why they change, and how much they change.
According to a report in the September 28, 2011 Journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have added a new dimension to the debate... an hallucinogenic one.
51 adults volunteered to have a "mystical experience" from taking psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, to investigate how it changed their personality.
Step One: Take an inventory to determine their score on the Big Five Factor called Openness. (POP QUIZ: How many global personality factors are there, according to the Big Five Theory?)
Step Two: Ingest psilocybin and have a "mystical experience."
Step Three: Retake the inventory.
Step Four: Wait one year and take the inventory a third time.
The finding? Participants "tested higher on scores of openness... than they had before they took the drugs. The change was still in place at a follow-up test one year later."
Hmmm. So taking drugs can change your personality? Who would have guessed? (he says sarcastically)
January 14, 2012
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I truly feel that the use of any drug can permanently alter you mind weather it be bad or good. I know that some Native American tribes use various plants that can alter your mind temporarily. Weather or not their is any long term effect would be interesting to find out. I can say I do have issues from my prior drug use as well.
ReplyDeleteBrandy Hoyt
General Psychology
MWF 11:10 AM
I found this study amusing. I know quite a few people whose personality could use a couple of shrooms. I am interested on how it affected other parts of their being and if other drugs were incorporated if it would have had an adverse reaction.
ReplyDeleteShawna Carrier
MWF 12:10
General Psychology
Why would any body want to change who they are? Everybody is special. God made us
ReplyDeletethe way we are. We just need to love our self more. Be happy with who you are. (Rozella Hubert General Pych 12:10)
I was wondering if that was even legal. Im still not sure that study would be fully accurate. I wonder if psilocybin could be used to help people that have nervous disorders. What I heard was that that these Mushrooms grow on cow patties. Im not sure if its true but If it is there's no way Id be open to even trying the study.
ReplyDelete(Tanner Cameron, Personality Psych, Warner MWF)