Data_Sheet_1_‘I Get High With a Little Help From My Friends’ - How Raves Can Invoke Identity Fusion and Lasting Co-operation via Transformative Experiences.docx

Psychoactive drugs have been central to many human group rituals throughout modern human evolution. Despite such experiences often being inherently social, bonding and associated prosocial behaviors have rarely been empirically tested as an outcome. Here we investigate a novel measure of the mechanisms that generate altered states of consciousness during group rituals, the 4Ds: dance, drums, sleep deprivation, and drugs. We conducted a retrospective online survey examining experiences at a highly ritualized cultural phenomenon where drug use is relatively uninhibited- raves and illegal free parties. Engaging in the 4Ds at raves or free parties was associated with personal transformation for those who experienced the event as awe-inspiring, especially for people with open personalities (n = 481). Without awe, or a ritual context, indulging in the 4Ds was associated with a lack of personal growth, or anomie. A complex SEM revealed that personal transformation following awe-inspiring raves was associated with bonding to other ravers and prosocial behavior toward this group at a cost to self in a simple economic game. Bonding to humanity was not associated with these events. The findings suggest that employing the 4Ds in a ritualized environment - particularly dancing and drug use – can help build meaningful social bonds with associated positive behavioral outcomes.

在现代人类演化历程中，精神活性药物（Psychoactive drugs）一直是诸多人类群体仪式的核心组成部分。尽管这类体验本质上往往带有社交属性，但群体联结与相关亲社会行为极少被作为结果变量开展实证检验。本研究针对群体仪式中催生意识改变状态（altered states of consciousness）的机制，开发了一种全新测量工具——4Ds范式，涵盖舞蹈、鼓乐、睡眠剥夺与精神活性药物四类元素。我们开展了一项回顾性线上调查，调研对象为药物使用相对不受约束的高度仪式化文化活动：锐舞派对（raves）与非法自由派对。在锐舞派对或非法自由派对中参与4Ds活动的受访者，若将该活动体验为令人敬畏的事件，则其报告的个人转变程度更高，这一效应在开放性人格特质人群中尤为显著（有效样本量n=481）。若未产生敬畏感，或未处于仪式化情境中，沉溺于4Ds活动则与个人成长缺失或社会失范（anomie）相关。一项复杂的结构方程模型（SEM）分析显示，在令人敬畏的锐舞派对后产生的个人转变，与参与者对其他锐舞参与者的群体联结感，以及在简单经济博弈中为该群体付出自我代价的亲社会行为显著相关。而对人类整体的联结感则与这类活动无关。研究结果表明，在仪式化环境中运用4Ds范式——尤其是舞蹈与精神活性药物使用——有助于建立富有意义的社会联结，并带来相应的积极行为结果。