Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science

Psychedelic Survey FAQs

1. Is this survey anonymous?

Yes. Due to the way that we have set up the experiment, there is no way of tracing your data back to your identity. Most experiments record your name and email address for communication purposes, which is may be linked to your data. We will not ask for any of these details at any point during the study, meaning there is no way to link your identity to the data you provide. In addition, we will not collect your IP address or any other identifying information. All you need to do is click the link on the flyer (or HERE), which will take you directly to the experiment. You also do not need to give us your personal details if you win the prize, as we will put the £50 Amazon voucher code directedly on the last page of the experiment.

2. Can I ask you to remove my data later?

If you wish to withdraw from the study before your session ends, information collected in the study before that point will automatically be destroyed. However, because you are providing data completely anonymously, which is in no way linked to any identifying information, it is not possible to withdraw your data once you have completed the experiment. This is simply due to the fact that we have no way of knowing which set of data in our collection belongs to you.

3. How do I know whether or not I have won the £50 Amazon voucher, and how do I claim it?

Two participants who have successfully completed the experiment will be randomly selected to win a £50 Amazon voucher. After the experiment and debriefing, the final screen of the online experiment will show you whether or not you have won the prize. If successful, the screen will also display the voucher code which you can use to validate the prize directly on Amazon.

4. Why can’t I participate if I have ever had a difficult or traumatic experience due to the use of psychedelics?

This is a safety measure. If you have had a very unpleasant or traumatic psychedelic experience in the past, being reminded of this by stimuli like the images used in our study could activate a negative emotional, psychological or physical reaction. This may be very stressful or traumatising for you. To protect your welfare and mental health we ask you not to participate if you think you are at any risk of trauma activation.

5. I have had bad trips in the past; however, these were not traumatising to me and I was not psychologically affected/ I believe that I have recovered from their negative psychological effects. Can I still participate?

We encourage you to think extremely carefully about participating and prioritise your own safety by only participating if you feel completely confident that it will not lead to any negative effects. Even if you think you have recovered, you could be taken by surprise by participating in such a study. In the screening process you will be shown examples of the stimuli that will be used in the study. If any negative emotions, thoughts or feelings arise, we strongly advise you not to participate. If you feel confident and do decide to participate, make sure that you are in a good mental place at the time of participating, and pause or terminate the experiment if you begin to feel uncomfortable.

6. How do I stop the experiment if I need a pause or want to withdraw?

Throughout the experiment, there will be a button you can press if you feel the need to pause the experiment. You will be given the opportunity to recover and decide whether you want to continue with the experiment. You can only use this pause button once, so if you feel the need to stop the experiment a second time, please simply terminate it by closing your browser. If you decide to leave the experiment completely, all the data collected up till that point will be automatically destroyed. To withdraw at any time, you can simply close your browser.

7. If I leave the experiment, do I still get entered into the prize draw?

Unfortunately, no. You are free to withdraw at any time; however, completion of the study is mandatory to be entered into our draw to win one of two £50 Amazon vouchers.

8. I have had more than one psychedelic experience using LSD, DMT or psilocybin in the past year, which should I choose?

You may have had multiple psychedelic experiences within the last year. As long as the psychedelic was either LSD, DMT or psilocybin, and you did not ingest more than one hallucinogen at the same time, any of these experiences are suitable. However, we need your memory of your psychedelic experience to be as strong as possible because we will be asking you to compare your experiences to the images created by our computer model. Thus, we ask that you draw upon the most recent suitable psychedelic experience when participating in the experiment.

9. I meet the inclusion criteria, but my psychedelic experience occurred over the last year. Can I still participate?

Unfortunately, no you cannot participate. This is because we need the psychedelic experiences to be temporally fresh in your memory to aid us in collecting useful data.

10. Within the last year I have had psychedelic experience(s) due to psychoactive substances which are not LSD, DMT or psilocybin. Can I draw upon this to participate?

Unfortunately, no you cannot participate. While there are many substances which can induce a psychedelic experience, we are specifically only interested in visual hallucinations which are a direct consequence of LSD, DMT and psilocybin.