Transformaciones narrativas del sentido de vida asociadas a experiencias con psilocibina en adultos jóvenes de Villa de Leyva

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the relationship between psychedelic substance use and the transformation of life-meaning narratives among young adults living in Villa de Leyva, Colombia. A qualitative approach with a narrative design was employed to explore the meanings participants attribute to their experiences with psilocybin and the ways these experiences are integrated into their life stories. Data were collected through in-depth narrative interviews conducted with five male participants aged between 24 and 40 years who reported previous psychedelic experiences. The analysis was organized around four main categories: psychedelic experience, subjective transformations, life-meaning narratives, and sociocultural influences. Findings revealed that psilocybin experiences were perceived as significant life events that promoted self-reflection, emotional resignification, identity reconstruction, and a reorganization of temporal experience. The results also showed that transformations in life meaning are not exclusively linked to substance use itself, but rather to the narrative, relational, and contextual processes through which these experiences are interpreted and integrated. The study concludes that psychedelic experiences can become meaningful opportunities for reconstructing personal significance, fostering new understandings of the self, interpersonal relationships, and future life projects. These findings contribute to the psychological understanding of psychedelic experiences from a narrative and contextual perspective.