This Fourth of July, a new study in Psychedelic Medicine suggests the holiday's meaning may shape more than just the mood

Research published this month in Psychedelic Medicine finds that the cultural moment surrounding a psychedelic experience may meaningfully shape its aftermath — with Independence Day standing out as a potentially unifying one. In a longitudinal study of 21,990 U.S. adults, participants whose most intense psychedelic experience fell on the Fourth of July reported decreased support for partisan violence at follow-up. The pattern reversed for those whose most intense experience coincided with the national party conventions or dates closer to Election Day, where support for partisan violence instead increased. The authors argue the findings offer preliminary evidence for the idea that shared cultural mood can potentially shape a trip's psychological effects.