The Effects of Psychedelics on Language: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review synthesises the literature on how psychedelic compounds affect language comprehension and production. Psychedelics, such as LSD, psilocybin, and DMT, as well as atypical psychedelics like MDMA, ketamine, and cannabis, are known to induce altered states of consciousness. However, the effects of these substances on language remain relatively understudied, despite language being a primary tool for expressing subjective experiences and an important mechanism in organising cognitive processes. This review focuses on understanding how these substances influence different aspects of language, including comprehension, production, and specific linguistic processes, and aims to fill a gap in the literature where no comprehensive synthesis currently exists.

Topics & conditions

Detected automatically by Psychedelic Commons from the title and abstract, not labels from the source. They may be incomplete.

Keywords