Social Cognition • August 15, 2026
Social Cognition and Compassion: Psilocybin Enhancement of Emotional Empathy
Psychological testing using the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) confirms psilocybin significantly boosts implicit emotional empathy and interpersonal warmth.
The Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) Assessment
Researchers evaluated explicit cognitive empathy and implicit emotional empathy in human volunteers treated with psilocybin vs placebo.
Boosts in Implicit Emotional Connection
Psilocybin produced selective increases in emotional empathy (feeling with another person) while maintaining intact cognitive empathy (understanding another's mental state).