{"id":15804,"date":"2020-11-04T16:58:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T16:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=15188"},"modified":"2023-05-11T12:07:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T10:07:21","slug":"kan-psykedelika-behandla-narcissism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/blog\/can-psychedelics-treat-narcissism\/","title":{"rendered":"Kan psykedeliska l\u00e4kemedel behandla narcissism?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-can-psychedelics-treat-narcissism\"><em>Can Psychedelics Treat Narcissism? <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contrary to popular belief, a true narcissist \u2014 or a person with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/narcissistic-personality-disorder\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20366662#:~:text=Overview,lack%20of%20empathy%20for%20others\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Narcissistic Personality Disorder<\/a> (or NPD)<\/strong> \u2014 isn\u2019t just someone who is self-absorbed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(So, constant posing on social media doesn\u2019t prove narcissism\u2026at least not clinically.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, psychedelics have been found to be a real alternative for treating NPD\u2014 the clinical kind\u2014 based on new research findings. So, can psychedelics treat narcissism? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-a-new-study-finds-a-link\"><em>A New Study Finds A Link<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent study published in Psychopharmacology has linked feelings of awe \u2014 created by psychedelic experiences\u2014to reduced levels of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/fulfillment-any-age\/201402\/revisiting-the-psychology-narcissistic-entitlement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exploitative-entitled narcissism<\/a><\/strong>.  According to the researchers, feelings of social connectedness, empathy, and awe from a trip <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00213-020-05568-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">may affect narcissistic personali<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00213-020-05568-y\"><strong>t<\/strong>ies<\/a> in a huge way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These experiences of awe were found to link to improved mental well-being. But, this study is yet to explain the extent of how it influences narcissism as a clinical disorder. However, the link found with narcissism <em>is<\/em> a big deal, since most psychedelic therapy studies have focused on other mental health issues such as<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/blog\/magic-mushrooms-can-treat-depression\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">depression<\/a><\/strong> or PTSD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Study authors <strong>Valerie van Mulukom<\/strong>  and <strong>Ruairi Patterson<\/strong> explained:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em> \u201cWe read\u2026 that use of some classic psychedelic drugs can boost levels of empathy. Lower empathy is implicated in&#8230;so-called maladaptive, or exploitative-entitled, narcissism.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More and more research has proved the <strong>therapeutic value of psychedelics<\/strong>. However, there has so far been little focus on how these could affect people with extreme narcissism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"> <em>\u201cResearch has focused on depression primarily, and has not been extended to narcissistic personality disorder&#8230; We have set the first steps in this direction, by exploring the association between psychedelic drug experiences and narcissistic personality traits.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-what-is-true-narcissism\"> <em>What is True Narcissism?<\/em> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>True narcissists are exploitative, which means that they are <em>\u201cselfish at the extreme expense of others\u201d<\/em>. They are not able to consider the feelings of those around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some key traits of a person with <strong>Narcissistic Personality Disorder (or NPD)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>need for excessive admiration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>takes advantage of others<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>lack of empathy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>envy of others or a belief that others are envious of them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some may argue that NPD is not a clinical condition that needs medicine -\u2014that it\u2019s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbs.com.au\/news\/comment-is-narcissism-a-personality-trait-or-mental-disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">merely a personality trait<\/a><\/strong>.  Similar to kindness or generosity, for example.&nbsp;However, the traits of narcissism <em>(whether or not classified as a \u201cmental illness\u201d)<\/em> can still cause problems for the person and their peers in the long run.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therapy, therefore, is an option worth considering for those willing to adjust their behaviour. But this is often done in conjunction with medication: and it <strong>rarely comes cheap<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which begs the question\u2014 how do psychedelic experiences begin to treat narcissism? Does it have something to do with that most mysterious of journeys\u2014 \u201cego death\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-brief-review-of-ego-death\"><em>Brief Review of Ego Death <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ego death <\/strong>\u2014 or transcendence of the self \u2014 can occur during a psychedelic trip. <strong>Timothy Leary <\/strong>once described the process as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em> \u201c&#8230;complete transcendence &#8211; beyond words, beyond space-time, beyond self. There are no visions, no sense of self, not thoughts. There [is] only pure awareness and ecstatic freedom.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we follow Leary\u2019s logic, then ego death is simply incompatible with narcissism \u2014 which is mainly concerned with glorifying the self.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(For a more in-depth exploration of this fascinating topic, check out <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/articles\/psychedelic-culture\/what-is-ego-death\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>\u201cThe Truth About Ego Death\u201d<\/strong> <\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-ego-death-vs-feelings-of-awe\"> <em>Ego Death vs. Feelings of Awe <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using an online survey platform, the researchers surveyed 414 individuals who have used popular psychedelics, such as <strong>magic mushrooms <\/strong>and <strong>LSD<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The participants answered questions about their most intense psychedelic trip during the past 5 years \u2014 along with questions on empathy and narcissism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What came up next was a surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ego death<\/strong> itself <em>(or the sense of \u201closing oneself\u201d while tripping)<\/em>  \u2014 actually does not influence narcissism levels, the researchers found.&nbsp;Instead, the <strong>feeling of awe <\/strong>while tripping was found to increase feelings of connectedness&#8230; which is linked to reduced levels of narcissism. It\u2019s worth noting, however, that the study cannot claim this fully since it was not a controlled scenario <em>(i.e. a clinical setting)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em> \u201cWe found that people who had a recent, highly significant experience while using psychedelic drugs, scored lower on maladaptive narcissism<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>Recent awe-inducing experiences&#8230;led to stronger connections to nature and humanity.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the survey data was gathered only once, the researchers cannot identify <strong>causal relationships<\/strong> between psychedelics, awe, empathy, and narcissism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong> <\/strong><em>\u201cWe do not adv<\/em>ise<em> that people self-medicate with psychedelic drugs<\/em>.<em> They need to be administered in a carefully controlled environment, in sessions led by medical professionals.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mulukom and Patterson now plan on investigating the link between awe experiences and narcissism, beyond the context of psychedelics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hopefully, the survey will encourage clinical research into how feelings of awe are linked to lower levels of narcissism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you think? Is it truly possible to reduce narcissism with drugs -\u2014psychedelic or otherwise? Share your thoughts down below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sociala medier har gett alla med en smartphone en \"illusion av k\u00e4ndisskap\". F\u00f6r m\u00e5nga har antalet likes och f\u00f6ljare blivit allt. Oavsett hur man ser p\u00e5 saken har denna sj\u00e4lvupptagenhet f\u00e5tt \u00e4ldre generationer att kalla digitala inf\u00f6dingar f\u00f6r \"narcissister\".<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-15804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-and-studies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15804"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123779,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15804\/revisions\/123779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15804"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=15804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}