A groundbreaking study by Johns Hopkins and NYU explores what spiritual leaders experience when they journey with psilocybin.
In recent years, the field of psychedelic research has expanded beyond clinical treatment of depression, anxiety, and addiction. A particularly striking example is a study quietly launched by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and NYU, exploring what happens when clergy and religious professionals take psilocybin—the active ingredient in certain psychedelic mushrooms.
And what they found may surprise you.
The Study: Psilocybin and Religious Professionals
The study, officially titled “The Effects of Psilocybin-Facilitated Experience on the Psychology and Effectiveness of Religious Professionals” invited 30 religious leaders from various faith traditions—including Episcopalians, Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, and a Muslim leader—to participate in a guided psilocybin experience.
Their mission? To explore whether psilocybin could deepen spiritual connection, renew religious calling, and revitalize their ability to serve others.
Many reported that their experience was one of the most spiritually significant events of their lives.
You can read more about the study in this feature article from The New Yorker.
What Did They Experience?
Some reported visions rooted in their own faith traditions, while others encountered spiritual symbols far outside them. One Christian minister spoke in tongues for the first time. A Muslim participant described feeling God’s presence as so near, “like a breath on the back of my neck.” A rabbi described experiencing the pulse of God in his own heartbeat.
What united them was not dogma, but a sense of deep spiritual authenticity.
Why This Matters for People of Faith
At Vital Reset, we understand that many people with strong religious beliefs are curious, but cautions, about psilocybin. And with good reason!
We’ve been taught to be wary of altered states. We’ve been warned against anything that might distort or diminish our relationship with God. But what if these experiences don’t take us away from God… what if they take us deeper?
This study is a powerful reminder that psilocybin is not the opposite of faith—it can be a way into it.
As one pastor in the study said:
“I realized I was making love to Love. I didn’t just believe in God—I encountered God.”
Why Choose Vital Reset?
We know that setting, guidance, and spiritual safety matter deeply.
That’s why at Vital Reset, we’ve built a psilocybin service center that respects faith, welcomes spiritual inquiry, and honors sacred experience. Several of our licensed facilitators come from Christian backgrounds. At least two integrate Christian values and prayer into their facilitation when requested. We also work with people of all traditions—religious or otherwise—who are seeking something deeper than what they’ve found so far.
Our sessions are confidential, gentle, and designed to support the kind of introspective, often spiritual journey that the clergy in this study experienced.
You Don’t Have to Leave Your Faith Behind
Psilocybin doesn’t replace faith.
It doesn’t demand that you believe in something new.
It simply opens a space—quiet, luminous, unguarded—where you can meet your own soul again.
If you’ve ever felt that something is missing…If your spiritual life feels dry or mechanical…If you sense that God may still be calling you, but you can’t quite hear the voice anymore…
We invite you to reach out.
Ready To Learn More?
You don’t have to commit to anything today. Just schedule a free call with us. Let’s talk about where you are, what you’re hoping for, and whether this path might be right for you.
Call or Text: 541-490-8689
Email: heidi@vitalreset.com
You are not alone in your questions. And you are not the only person of faith seeking a deeper connection.
Come sit with us. The door is open.
