Altered States
Anesthesiology – September 21, 2013
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A fascinating neuroimaging discovery reveals psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, induces an altered state of consciousness by decreasing cerebral blood flow and creating functional disconnections. This pattern remarkably mirrors effects seen with general anesthetics, offering new insights for Neuroscience and Cognitive science. This comparison, crucial for Psychedelics and Drug Studies, explores how these distinct chemical synthesis and alkaloids influence behavior and consciousness. Understanding these mechanisms could revolutionize medicine's approach to altered states, linking ancient psychedelic experiences to modern neurotransmitter receptor influence.
Abstract
Abstract The psychedelic experience has been reported since antiquity, but there is relatively little known about the underlying neural mechanisms. A recent neuroimaging study on psilocybin revealed a pattern of decreased cerebral blood flow and functional disconnections that is surprisingly similar to that caused by various anesthetics. In this article, the authors review historical examples of psychedelic experiences induced by general anesthetics and then contrast the mechanisms by which these two drug classes generate altered states of consciousness.