How Psychedelics Affected Nova Festival Survivors

Sometimes tragedy yields important information. A recent peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology examined the psychological impact of psychoactive substance use among the survivors of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack and massacre at the Nova music festival in Israel.

This new study sheds surprising light on the influence of mind-altering substances on anxiety, PTSD, and trauma. Three weeks after the attack, scientists at Reichman University began this one-of-a-kind study asking, How did drug use—particularly psychedelic substances—affect the mental health of survivors?

Study Overview

In this study, there were 343 festival attendees aged 18-64 (189 women, 154 men): 57 had used classic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, or mescaline), 133 had used cannabis, 147 had consumed alcohol, and 124 had taken MDMA (Ecstasy) 1-5 hours before the attack. The unique setting of a music festival and the timing of substance use relative to the traumatic event provided a naturalistic context for examining these effects.

Contrary to some prior research, MDMA use was not associated with reduced anxiety or PTSD symptoms: Survivors who had consumed either MDMA or no psychedelics exhibited higher levels of these symptoms. In contrast, participants who had consumed classic psychedelics reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and PTSD symptoms. The differences remained significant even after controlling for variables such as age, gender, psychiatric history, and prior psychedelic use.

The findings suggest that psilocybin and LSD had protective effects against the development of anxiety and PTSD symptoms following the traumatic event. Factors such as age, gender, and previous mental health conditions were also taken into account.

The subjects were divided into three groups: those who used traditional psychedelics; those who used MDMA; and a control group who had used no psychedelic substances. The average anxiety score was 1.90—but was only 1.38 for both male and female psychedelic substance users. Differences were also found in posttraumatic stress: The mean was 3.27, compared to only 2.83 for the psychedelic group.

Researchers also found that Nova survivors who had taken classic psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and PTSD symptoms compared to those who had not taken any psychedelics or who had used substances like MDMA, cannabis, or alcohol. These differences remained statistically significant even after accounting for variables such as age, gender, psychiatric history, and prior psychedelic use.

A National Psilocybin Expert Comments

NYU researcher Josh Siegel, MD, Ph.D., who has studied the effects of psilocybin and psychedelics on the brain and behavior, told me, “This study is impressive. While there are limitations based on the fact the mass casualty event happened and the study was conducted afterward, nevertheless, in the end, it is incredible research.” Siegel says the most important finding was correcting the idea that MDMA might be protective, as previously many in the field thought that MDMA might protect against trauma and PTSD. However, the data for Nova survivors was clear: MDMA did not protect against PTSD. MDMA increased it.

Siegel continued, "This study is so important and unique. There have never been studies like this, and there may never be one again (hopefully). I think if you understand MDMA and psychedelics, the findings are not entirely shocking. We are programmed to respond to threat and trauma strongly...for good reasons. However, the emotional system that keeps us safe is the same one that leads to PTSD. These drugs have a powerful impact on those systems.”

Other Studies

Several other studies have examined the psychological aftermath among survivors, focusing on how pre-attack substance use may have influenced mental health outcomes.

Research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for trauma is growing but limited. Clinical trials with LSD have shown promise in treating anxiety disorders, particularly generalized anxiety disorder. Psilocybin also has shown promise for treating depression and anxiety, particularly in end-of-life care and trauma-adjacent conditions. However, its role in acute trauma responses (like witnessing violence or assault) is unclear.

MDMA-assisted therapy (e.g., MAPS-Lykos Phase 3 trials) has shown promise but in June 2024, the FDA’s Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee reviewed the New Drug Application for MDMA-AT submitted by Lykos Therapeutics (formerly MAPS PBC) and voted against approval. Lykos Therapeutics plans to conduct additional Phase 3 trials to address these concerns and resubmit for FDA approval for PTSD.

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The Israeli study is unique and offers strong signals toward psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD. For the Israelie survivors, alcohol did not help. Cannabis did not help. Being sober did not help. And MDMA made things worse. One theory is that psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD might alter memory formation or consolidation during trauma (e.g., reducing the “freezing” of traumatic memories), and also increase emotional openness or “acceptance” of distressing stimuli. These drugs may also induce dissociative or mystical experiences that buffer emotional intensity.

LSD Research

As of mid-2025, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is undergoing advanced clinical evaluation in psychiatry, with very promising results in treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). For example, MindMed’s Phase 2b trial assessed MM120 (lysergide d-tartrate) in patients with GAD and showed that a single 100 µg dose led to significant reduction in anxiety symptoms. Approximately 78% of participants in the 100 µg and 200 µg groups achieved a clinical response (≥50% reduction in HAM-A scores), and 50% reached remission (HAM-A ≤7) at week four. Benefits persisted through 12 weeks post-treatment.

In March 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to MM120 for GAD, recognizing its potential to offer substantial improvement over existing treatments. MindMed commenced the Phase 3 “Voyage” randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which aims to confirm MM120’s efficacy and safety in a larger GAD population study in late 2024. Results are anticipated in the second half of 2026.

Psilocybin Update

As of mid-2025, psilocybin-assisted therapy is advancing through Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials for major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anorexia nervosa, and postpartum depression. COMPASS Pathways (COMP360) is currently conducting a large-scale Phase 3 program evaluating a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin for treating treatment-resistant depression (TRD). COMPASS Pathways completed an open-label Phase 2 study with 22 participants suffering from PTSD, which led to symptom improvement over 12 weeks. A single 25 mg dose of psilocybin, administered with psychological support, led to durable symptom improvement over 12 weeks.

Summary

The study from Reichman University sheds light on a previously under-researched interface between mind-altering substances and acute trauma. It demonstrates that the study of psychedelics may deliver findings relevant to human resilience. Survivors under the influence of traditional psychedelics during the attack reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and posttraumatic reactions compared to those who had consumed MDMA, who fared worse than those who had consumed no psychedelics.

Psychedelics may reduce PTSD symptoms in some traumatic contexts, including war, natural disasters, or mass violence, particularly if used before or during the event, possibly by modifying emotional memory encoding. There is no evidence, however, to suggest that the use of psychedelics or other substances had any impact on one's likelihood of surviving the attack.