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"The Fireside Database: Large-Scale Evidence from 25,419 Psychedelic Support Interactions," published in Science Advances, provides researchers and policymakers with an empirical window into psychedelic use and support outside clinical settings.

The study analyzes 25,419 interactions with Fireside Project's Psychedelic Support Line conducted by 220 trained peer supporters between April 2021 and February 2026, along with 2,777 post-interaction satisfaction surveys. To the authors' knowledge, it is the largest dataset of psychedelic support interactions ever assembled.

Most psychedelic experiences take place outside clinical trials—in homes, at festivals, in ceremonies and other community settings—yet systematic evidence about these experiences remains limited. The Fireside Database captures structured information about substances used, distress, social setting, presenting concerns, support techniques and other factors, as well as demographics when voluntarily disclosed. It also includes thousands of open-ended survey responses that provide a qualitative dimension often absent from large surveys of naturalistic psychedelic use.

"We've spent more than five years building this resource because the vast majority of psychedelic use is happening in a world that researchers have had very little ability to see," said Joshua White, founder and executive director of Fireside Project and a co-author of the study. "We want researchers to use these data to ask better questions about what makes psychedelic experiences safer, more supportive and potentially more healing, and what puts people at greater risk."

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