Psychedelics Are Helping People Have Better Sex—and Deeper Relationships

May 4, 2025

It’s not just about seeing colors or melting into the couch. According to new research, psychedelics might actually improve your sex life—and your relationships.

A recent study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that psychedelic experiences enhanced participants’ feelings about their partners, their relationships, and their sexuality. The benefits weren’t just short-term, either—they often lasted well beyond the trip.

💫 More Than a Trip—It’s Emotional Chemistry

Led by researcher Daniel Kruger of the University of Buffalo, the study surveyed 600+ participants about how substances like psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine affected their sex lives.

• 70% said psychedelics impacted their sexual or romantic experiences.

• 65% reported short-term changes like increased emotional openness and physical desire.

• 53% experienced long-term effects, including stronger emotional intimacy and more satisfying sex.

One participant described the experience as "feeling walls dissolve" between themselves and their partner. Others said the trips unlocked vulnerability, trust, and raw attraction in ways they hadn’t felt before.

💞 Tripping into Intimacy

These substances are known to heighten emotional sensitivity and lower inhibitions. That cocktail of openness often leads to:

• Deeper connection in relationships

• Heightened sexual attraction and responsiveness

• More open communication in bed and beyond

Kruger explains, “People in psychedelic retreats or clinical trials often report greater self-insight and deeper emotional bonds. So it’s no surprise we’re seeing benefits in intimate relationships too.”

⚧️ When Gender Identity Enters the Experience

The study also uncovered something more complex: 10% of respondents said their trip influenced how they viewed their gender.

• Some reported fluidity between masculine and feminine energy.

• Others said psychedelics helped them reflect on or even redefine their gender identity.

• A few described riding “waves” of gender presentation, moving between roles with ease and freedom.

While not the focus of the study, these findings highlight how psychedelics don’t just open minds—they deepen self-awareness, even around identity and expression.

🧠 So... Should You Try It?

Let’s be clear: psychedelics are powerful, and this study is based on self-reported data—not a prescription to take mushrooms for better sex.

But it does show that altered states of consciousness can touch every aspect of human connection—from emotional vulnerability to how we show up with a partner.

As psychedelic science keeps expanding in the fields of trauma and mental health, this research adds something softer, more intimate, and arguably just as important: better love, deeper sex, and a more authentic you.