Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41959772›Full record

ArticlemedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences2026

Mystical Experience Induced by Esketamine Treatment: A Real-World Observational Study.

Maia Mallevays, Louise Fuet, Michel Danon, Laura Di Lodovico, Claire Jaffré, Louise Bouzeghoub, Seifeddine Mrad, Anne-Victoire Rousselet, Lola Allary, Chlöé Müh and 8 more

Abstract readPreprint
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Maia MallevaysCognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.ORCID 0009-0000-6416-3886
Louise FuetService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Michel DanonClinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), Hôpital Sainte-Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France.
Laura Di LodovicoClinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), Hôpital Sainte-Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France.
Claire JaffréService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Louise BouzeghoubService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Seifeddine MradService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Anne-Victoire RousseletService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Lola AllaryService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Chlöé MühService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Bente VisselCognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.
Pierre De MaricourtSecteur 15-16, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France.
Fabien VinckierService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Raphaël GaillardService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Lila MekaouiClinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), Hôpital Sainte-Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France.
Philip GorwoodClinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), Hôpital Sainte-Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France.
Anne-Cécile PetitService Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, Hôpital Sainte Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris.
Lucie BerkovitchCognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Esketamine is a fast-acting antidepressant drug which induces acute psychoactive effects. The most frequent is a dissociative state which seems unrelated to therapeutic efficacy. Other esketamine-induced effects, including psychedelic-like mystical experiences, have been poorly studied in terms of phenomenology and frequency, and may carry specific therapeutic relevance. In this study, we characterised esketamine-induced mystical experiences in relation with clinical outcomes. We conducted a longitudinal observational study and systematically measured acute subjective effects in patients receiving esketamine for treatment-resistant depression after each administration across the induction phase. A total of 45 patients were included, from two independent centres, totalling 352 esketamine administrations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) supported the validity of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30) for assessing esketamine-induced subjective effects, with components recovering dimensions previously validated with classic psychedelics. Mystical experiences (MEQ-30 score ≥ 60) occurred in 58% of patients, with high inter- and intra-individual variability in frequency, intensity, and phenomenology across sessions. Higher mean and peak MEQ scores were associated with greater improvement in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores from pre- to post-treatment, whereas the intensity of dissociative or other non-mystical effects was not. Positive mood and mystical MEQ dimensions in particular predicted therapeutic outcomes. Baseline spirituality also significantly predicted treatment outcomes and peak MEQ scores in the first week of treatment. These findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that psychedelic-like mystical experiences may be associated to therapeutic efficacy, not only in classic psychedelic-assisted therapy, but also in esketamine treatment.

Indexed as

antidepressantesketamineketamineMystical experiencetreatment-resistant depression

Identifiers

PMID41959772
PMCPMC13060485

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.