These 9 Celebrities Openly Embrace Psychedelics. Should You?

Evidence suggests even a tiny dose of ‘shrooms can have positive psychological outcomes.

As psychedelic drugs grow in popularity and legality, more and more famous faces are opening up about using psilocybin and ketamine, sharing past trips and even the health benefits they’ve experienced.

First, some science. A 2022 study confirms what that one constantly-tripping bro from college always claimed: “Psychedelic use was associated with significant improvements in depressive and anxious symptoms and with increased emotional well-being.” And that includes microdosing.

While increased exposure to psychedelics produced greater improvements, there was a ceiling, though benefits were observed after just one use. Other research has found a link between the psychedelic psilocybin and the relieving of distress in people with cancer.

Per The Atlantic, evidence suggests that neuroplasticity (or changing of the human brain) induced by psychedelics can help people in certain ways, especially overcoming fear and anxiety associated with past trauma.

There are clear limits and plenty of potential drawbacks. As also noted in The Atlantic: claims of the biggest psychedelic boosters are likely overstated. Plus, you definitely know (of, perhaps?) at least one person who had a “bad trip.” For some people, these drugs in any amount may have adverse effects.

While there’s still plenty of research to be done, it’s easy to see the appeal in wading into the psychedelic pool. Already plunging are some familiar faces across entertainment, sports, and business.

From Will Smith to Mike Tyson, here are guys who’ve talked about taking psychedelics, some even sharing how it’s been a salve in mental health journeys.

Elon Musk

We have no idea what his personal use looks like, but the billionaire reportedly enjoys discussing the benefits of MDMA and magic mushrooms with friends, The New York Times reported. We break down all of Musk’s good, bad, and terrible health habits, right over here.

Harry Styles

The pop and rock superstar may be more of a recreational user of psychedelics, given his creative history: Styles told Rolling Stone that he popped shrooms during recording of his second solo album in gorgeous Malibu, California. “We’d do mushrooms, lie down on the grass, and listen to Paul McCartney’s Ram in the sunshine,” Styles said. “We’d just turn the speakers into the yard.” Makes you wonder even more about the meaning behind that album’s breakout hit “Watermelon Sugar.”

Prince Harry

Harry says psychedelics have helped him cope with unimaginable grief over the death of his mother Princess Diana. After a therapist suggested that he suffered from PTSD, Harry writes in his memoir Spare, he tried mushrooms and ayahuasca “therapeutically, medicinally.” “They didn’t simply allow me to escape reality for a while, they let me redefine reality,” he wrote. Perhaps he’s diving back in currently, to gain clarity around his public feud with his family.

Seth Rogen

Surprised? Of course not. Rogen (Knocked Up, This Is the End, The Fabelmans) has experimented with psychedelics here and there, since his first dose of psilocybin at age 16. Rogen further experienced “ego death” on mushrooms “like, 25 times,” per his interview with The New York Times Magazine. And anyone working in Hollywood can tell you that a little ego death can be essential to staying sane.

Will Smith

For a GQ cover story, the beleaguered Smith explained how the South American psychoactive ayahuasca transformed him. “More than a dozen ayahuasca rituals,” he said, allowed him “a fresh sampling of the fruits of the human experience.” Hopefully it makes him less prone to fits of violence.

Diplo

The raucous DJ and producer is a fan of slipping psychedelics into his creative output, sonic or otherwise. “I had a lot of energy in the morning. I was on a little bit of LSD. I was just ready to climb,” Diplo told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show of his experience literally saving a cow at Burning Man.

Mike Tyson

No one would call the legendary and disturbed boxer a paragon of health, but psychedelics played a pivotal role in his life. Tyson told Reuters he battled secret demons at the peak of his career, and trying psilocybin mushrooms pulled him through. “To think where I was — almost suicidal — to this now. Isn’t life a trip, man?” Tyson has also discussed his penchant for cannabis as well as other psychedelic substances, including DMT and poisonous frog venom.

Lamar Odom

The former NBA forward revealed that psychedelics allowed him to fight his harmful addictions to other drugs. In the documentary Lamar Odom Reborn, Odom says that ketamine and ibogaine, which he took as part of a psychedelic “intervention,” were both key to his recovery.

Mark Messier

The hockey star went public with his psychedelics story in Maclean’s, saying his first foray into magic mushrooms was at 19. “Obviously it turned out to be an amazing experience, but more important was the question afterwards: Wow, how can I use my mind to empower myself to be a better player, to be a better person, to have more energy, to create a better aura?”