The thrill and the intensity of psychotropic substances
Exploring the Mystical: Tony Bossis' Psychedelic Research
Tony Bossis, a researcher affiliated with the NYU School of Medicine, is delving into the intriguing intersection of great religions and mystical experiences, using psychedelics as his lens.
In 2025, Bossis co-authored a landmark study that explored the impact of psilocybin on the spiritual lives and emotional well-being of religious leaders. This research focused on clergy from major world religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism, and aimed to understand how psychedelic experiences relate to mystical and sacred experiences within these traditions.
The study involved 33 clergy members who held formal spiritual leadership roles. It investigated the acute and long-term effects of psilocybin on their religious attitudes and behaviors. The findings align with broader psychedelic research, which suggests that psilocybin can alter brain network connectivity related to introspection and social cognition, potentially underpinning mystical experiences.
Bossis' current research continues to delve into this area, with a focus on the effects of psilocybin on religious and spiritual attitudes, particularly among religious leaders. He is also conducting a study on the effects of psilocybin on the brain's default mode network in healthy individuals.
The study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor brain activity during psychedelic experiences. The fMRI data collected will be analyzed to identify patterns of brain activity associated with mystical experiences.
Beyond his work with religious leaders, Bossis' research could potentially lead to new treatments for mental health conditions by understanding the brain mechanisms of mystical experiences. His findings could contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
In addition to his research, Bossis remains active in psychedelic research and integration circles. He was present at the 2025 Psychedelic Science Summit and continues to play mentorship roles in the field.
In summary, Tony Bossis' research is shedding light on how psychedelics like psilocybin can facilitate mystical-type experiences relevant to the great religions, by studying their impact on ordained religious leaders' spirituality and functioning. His work could pave the way for a deeper understanding of the psychological and neurological aspects of mystical experiences, and potentially, new treatments for mental health conditions.
Science has shown that Tony Bossis' research, focusing on the effects of psilocybin on religious and spiritual attitudes among religious leaders, could lead to advancements in health-and-wellness, specifically mental-health therapies-and-treatments. This Keen exploration into the relation between mystical experiences and psychedelics, conducted through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), could contribute to a broader understanding of the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in addressing mental health issues.
