Entering the Symbiocene: How Psychedelics Can Lead Us Back to Nature

Humans are plagued by an undeniable physical and emotional disconnection from nature, with impacts ranging from individual unhappiness to the current climate crisis. A subjective connection to nature, known as nature relatedness, is associated with well-being and environmentally responsible behavior. Given the current state of disconnection and its various effects, interventions that cultivate nature relatedness are needed. Psychedelics show great promise in increasing nature relatedness through their evocation of self-transcendent experiences that facilitate feelings of oneness. This paper explores the potential of psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, to elicit a unique and intense connection with the natural world, cultivating increased care for our collective home, inspiring action to protect it, and fostering a new relationship with nature that is more conducive to collective human and ecological flourishing.