For some people, this won’t come as much of a surprise: psychedelics might just be good for your sex life.
A new study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that psychedelic experiences enhanced how participants felt about their relationships, their partners, and their sexual experiences—both short-term and long-term. Basically, it’s not just trippy visuals and ego death. Sometimes it’s connection, chemistry, and better sex.
“People in clinical trials and people going on psychedelic retreats in other countries have talked about a broad range of positive effects, including greater self-insight and feeling more connected to other people,” said Daniel Kruger, the study’s lead author and a research associate professor in University of Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions. “Could there be benefits for intimate relationships in the long-term?”
Turns Out Tripping Might Make You a More Loving, Horny Human
His team surveyed over 600 people, and about 70% said psychedelics had some impact on their sexuality or sexual experiences. That includes 65% who reported short-term effects—like emotional openness, increased desire, and stronger connection—and nearly 53% who noticed longer-lasting changes.
In the survey, “psychedelics” commonly included substances like psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, MDMA (aka ecstasy or molly), and ketamine. All of these can alter perception, emotions, and that sense of connection people often report while tripping.
Many participants described heightened emotional intimacy with their partners, increased attraction, and more satisfying physical intimacy. The drugs seemed to create a kind of relationship-enhancing ripple effect—less fear, more vulnerability, and deeper connection, in and out of the bedroom.
But that’s not all the study uncovered.
Roughly 10% of participants said their experiences influenced their gender identity or expression. Some described feelings of gender fluidity, with identity and presentation shifting during or after their trip—like riding “waves” from masculine to feminine and back again. Others said the experience gave them new insight into how they related to gender overall.
To be clear, the study is based on self-reported data and isn’t claiming psychedelics are a miracle cure for your love life or a shortcut to personal discovery. But it does point to the powerful, sometimes unexpected ways altered states of consciousness can touch every part of how we relate—to ourselves, to others, and to what we want.
With psychedelic science gaining momentum in mental health and trauma work, this study adds something a little more intimate to the mix. Tripping, it turns out, might open more than just your mind.
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