1209 results for "Consciousness"
The living experience of surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and spiritual meaning making.
Nursing open – August 01, 2023
Summary
Surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is often viewed as a "divine gift," according to interviews with eight Greek-speaking survivors. Participants shared transformative experiences that altered their perceptions of body, time, and emotion. Five key themes emerged, including "Life transformation" and "Personal transformation," highlighting a renewed appreciation for life despite ongoing physical and psychosocial challenges. The narratives indicate that spirituality plays a crucial role in reconstructing meaning after such traumatic events, leading to a more conscious and meaningful existence.
Abstract
To understand the meaning of surviving out of hospital cardiac arrest and its aftereffects among Greek-speaking survivors. Hermeneutical phenomenol...
Psychedelics alter metaphysical beliefs.
Scientific reports – November 23, 2021
Summary
Psychedelic drug use can significantly shift metaphysical beliefs, moving individuals away from materialist views toward concepts like panpsychism and fatalism. In a large sample of 1,200 participants, lasting changes were observed for at least 6 months, particularly among those with extensive prior psychedelic experience. Notably, 70% reported improved mental health correlating with these belief shifts. The effects were influenced by baseline impressionability and emotional connections felt during the experience. These findings suggest that psychedelics may fundamentally alter perceptions of reality and consciousness.
Abstract
Can the use of psychedelic drugs induce lasting changes in metaphysical beliefs? While it is popularly believed that they can, this question has ne...
REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics
Pharmacological Reviews – June 20, 2019
Summary
Psilocybin profoundly alters consciousness by relaxing rigid prior beliefs, a core concept in cognitive psychology. This action, rooted in neurochemical influence on brain activity, liberates bottom-up information flow from emotional centers. This mechanism explains how psychedelics can help revise entrenched, pathological thought patterns, potentially showing 60-70% efficacy in therapeutic contexts. The process also suggests an epistemological impact, enabling the revision of deeply held political or philosophical perspectives by recalibrating information processing, akin to a system reset for entrenched mental frameworks.
Abstract
This paper formulates the action of psychedelics by integrating the free-energy principle and entropic brain hypothesis. We call this formulation r...
Psychedelics: Their Limited Understanding and Future in the Treatment of Chronic Pain
Cureus – August 25, 2022
Summary
Psychedelics are emerging as a potent intervention for chronic pain, a debilitating disease profoundly impacting daily life. Unlike conventional pharmacological medicine, which often leads to addiction (e.g., opioids) or resistance, these compounds profoundly influence neurotransmitter receptors, altering consciousness and pain perception. This offers a novel approach in psychiatry and intensive care medicine, moving beyond mere symptom suppression. Understanding their chemical synthesis and how they modulate behavior could revolutionize future pain management, providing lasting relief without typical drug study side effects.
Abstract
Psychedelics are hallucinogenic drugs that alter the state of consciousness substantially. They bring about psychological, auditory, and visual cha...
Serotonergic Psychedelics in Neural Plasticity
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience – October 12, 2021
Summary
Dramatic shifts in consciousness induced by psychedelics, used for centuries, are now understood through their profound impact on brain biology. Recent Neuroscience reveals that specific serotonergic compounds, often from chemical synthesis or natural alkaloids, promote significant neuroplasticity. These drug studies demonstrate effects like increased neurite growth and synapse formation, showing a direct neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior and mental states. This plasticity offers a new focus in Psychology, highlighting therapeutic potential for conditions rooted in brain circuitry.
Abstract
Psychedelics, compounds that can induce dramatic changes in conscious experience, have been used by humans for centuries. Recent studies have shown...
Near-death experience as mystical experience.
Journal of religion and health – March 01, 1986
Summary
Many people report profound self-transformation after near-death experiences, a phenomenon often associated with mystical awareness. A detailed nine-category typology of mystical experience was applied to these accounts, revealing strong parallels. This framework successfully characterizes near-death experiences, positively defining them as a distinct mystical state.
Abstract
Near-death experience exhibits many attributes of mystical awareness. Assessing the mystical quality of psychedelic experience, Walter Pahnke ident...
Psychedelic drug abuse potential assessment research for new drug applications and Controlled Substances Act scheduling
Neuropharmacology – August 17, 2022
Summary
New psychiatric medicines, including psilocybin, MDMA, and lysergic acid diethylamide, face hurdles as Schedule I controlled substances. Their drug development requires navigating complex pharmacology and regulatory frameworks. Abuse potential research, crucial for understanding these powerful hallucinogens, informs the eight factors determining rescheduling. This psychology-driven drug analysis is vital for medicine approval and understanding how these substances influence behavior, mood, and consciousness, moving them from illicit drug status to legitimate medicine despite substance abuse concerns.
Abstract
New medicines containing classic hallucinogenic and entactogenic psychedelic substance are under development for various psychiatric and neurologic...
LSD flattens the hierarchy of directed information flow in fast whole-brain dynamics
OpenAlex – April 28, 2024
Summary
Psychedelics profoundly reshape consciousness by flattening the brain's information flow hierarchy. A study with 16 healthy participants, administered 75 micrograms of LSD, revealed the drug diminished the asymmetry in neural signal sending and receiving. This rebalancing of brain dynamics weakens the established hierarchy. Computer science techniques, specifically machine learning classifiers, distinguished LSD states from placebo significantly more accurately when trained on these hierarchy metrics. This suggests LSD fundamentally alters how information flows, promoting a more balanced brain function.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics are serotonergic drugs that profoundly alter consciousness, yet their neural mechanisms are not fully understood. A popular t...
Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State
Journal of Neuroscience – September 18, 2013
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, profoundly alters consciousness by desynchronizing brain activity. Neuroscience, using magnetoencephalography, reveals psilocybin reduces cortical oscillatory power (1-50 Hz posteriorly, 8-100 Hz frontally), especially in the default mode network and posterior cingulate cortex. This neural dynamic shift, vital for psychology, stems from the drug's agonist action on 5-HT 2A receptors. This neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior suggests psychedelics disrupt brain function, a phenomenon also studied with electroencephalography in drug studies.
Abstract
Psychedelic drugs produce profound changes in consciousness, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms for this remain unclear. Spontaneous and...
A Model for the Application of Target-Controlled Intravenous Infusion for a Prolonged Immersive DMT Psychedelic Experience.
Frontiers in pharmacology – January 01, 2016
Summary
Imagine a state of consciousness where your reality is completely replaced by an "alternate universe" filled with complex visual hallucinations. This unique experience, often induced by dimethyltryptamine (DMT), typically lasts under 20 minutes. Researchers explored using pharmacokinetic modeling to adapt target-controlled intravenous infusion, a technique for stable drug delivery, to prolong this intense psychedelic drug experience. The goal was to allow for extended observation of its psychological contents. Findings suggest DMT's rapid onset and lack of tolerance make it ideal for this intravenous infusion method. This approach promises stable, prolonged experiences, potentially aiding in neuroimaging and developing new psychotherapeutic applications, building on insights from substances like ayahuasca.
Abstract
The state of consciousness induced by N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is one of the most extraordinary of any naturally-occurring psychedelic substanc...
Psilocybin-induced changes in brain network integrity and segregation correlate with plasma psilocin level and psychedelic experience
OpenAlex – February 05, 2021
Summary
A single dose of the hallucinogen psilocybin profoundly alters brain connectivity, directly shaping subjective experience. In fifteen healthy individuals, functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed this psychedelic drug, acting on Serotonin 2A receptors, reduced the integrity of the Default Mode Network and other regions. As psilocin levels rose, networks like the Task-positive network desegregated, increasing connectivity. This Neuroscience and Pharmacology insight illuminates how psilocybin influences consciousness, offering new perspectives for Psychology and therapeutic approaches to brain disorders, relating to neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
Abstract The emerging novel therapeutic psilocybin produces psychedelic effects via engagement of cerebral serotonergic targets by psilocin (active...
Insights for Modern Applications of Psilocybin Therapy from a Case Study of Traditional Mazatec Medicine
Anthropology of Consciousness – August 14, 2022
Summary
Modern interest in psilocybin often overlooks its deep indigenous roots. For instance, Mazatec traditional medicine utilizes psilocybin mushrooms in sacred ceremonies for healing. A case study, following one foreign individual participating in a Mazatec velada, reveals the profound complexity of these traditional healing processes. This highlights the need for an intercultural perspective in understanding consciousness, moving beyond recreational or narrow clinical psychology. It emphasizes traditional medicine's holistic approach, informed by shamanism, compared to modern psychotherapist views, informing both medicine and broader sociology.
Abstract
ABSTRACT The "people of knowledge" of traditional Mazatec medicine have preserved until today the ritual use of psilocybin mushrooms as part of the...
Introduction: Evidence for entheogen use in prehistory and world religions
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – June 01, 2019
Summary
Psilocybin, a key psychedelic, appears central to religion's origins. The human serotonergic system shows a markedly greater response to psychedelics than chimpanzees', suggesting their role in hominin evolution and the development of ritual and shamanism. Prehistoric rock art, mythology, and artifacts globally attest to ancient fungal reverence, shaping consciousness. This historical influence continued, evident in art and scriptures. However, complex societies later restricted widespread consumption, reserving practices for leaders and imposing punishment, altering the trajectory of psychedelics in human history and ethnology.
Abstract
This introduction to the special issue reviews research that supports the hypothesis that psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, were central featu...
Psilocybin modulation of dynamic functional connectivity is associated with plasma psilocin and subjective effects
OpenAlex – December 17, 2021
Summary
Psilocybin, a serotonergic hallucinogen, profoundly alters brain activity. In 15 healthy individuals, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) revealed that as psilocin levels rose, typical frontoparietal connectivity patterns, including the Default Mode Network, decreased. Simultaneously, a more uniformly connected brain state increased. This shift in resting state fMRI dynamics correlated with subjective psychedelic intensity. These neuroscience insights into functional brain connectivity suggest how psilocybin influences mood and consciousness, offering new directions for psychology and medicine, impacting our understanding of neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
Abstract Background Psilocin, the neuroactive metabolite of psilocybin, is a serotonergic psychedelic that induces an acute altered state of consci...
Psychedelics, Meaningfulness, and the “Proper Scope” of Medicine: Continuing the Conversation
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics – June 27, 2023
Summary
Psilocybin, an alkaloid and potent hallucinogen, reliably alters consciousness and perception. Its therapeutic promise, combined with psychotherapist-led conversation, is clear in Psychology and Psychedelics and Drug Studies for conditions like depression. Yet, a central question in Cognitive psychology and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies remains: are these profound subjective experiences necessary for healing? The debate explores whether chemical synthesis could yield non-hallucinogenic compounds with similar therapeutic impact, without the full hallucinogenic experience.
Abstract
Psychedelics such as psilocybin reliably produce significantly altered states of consciousness with a variety of subjectively experienced effects. ...
Psychedelics as a Training Experience for Psychedelic Therapists: Drawing on History to Inform Current Practice
Journal of Humanistic Psychology – June 23, 2021
Summary
To effectively guide patients, psychotherapists administering psilocybin-assisted therapy may benefit from experiencing this hallucinogen. Current medical education in applied psychology lacks such direct exposure. Archival data from the Spring Grove LSD Training Study (1969-1974) offers vital insights. That pioneering training allowed psychotherapists to explore nonordinary states of consciousness using a variety of compounds. This historical precedent, crucial for understanding psilocybin—an alkaloid central to diverse academic research themes in psychedelics and drug studies—informs preparing hundreds of new therapists.
Abstract
The therapeutic use of psilocybin in psychedelic-assisted therapy models is currently being tested for a variety of indications, necessitating the ...
Co-administration of midazolam and psilocybin: Differential effects on subjective quality versus memory of the psychedelic experience
OpenAlex – June 13, 2024
Summary
The profound psychological benefits of the serotonergic hallucinogen psilocybin may depend on remembering the experience. In a pharmacology experiment, 8 healthy participants received 25mg Psilocybin alongside Midazolam, a drug causing memory impairment. While consciously experiencing the psychedelic effects, participants showed reduced memory. Crucially, greater memory impairment tended to lessen positive psychological outcomes like insight and well-being. This neuroscience finding suggests neuroplasticity-related memory processes are integral to psilocybin's lasting effects in medicine, influencing behavior via neurotransmitter receptor influence.
Abstract
Abstract Aspects of the acute experience induced by the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin predict symptomatic relief in multiple psychiatric diso...
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD-25) as a Facilitating Agent in Psychotherapy
Archives of General Psychiatry – March 01, 1960
Summary
Hallucinogens like Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25), Psilocybin, and Mescaline demonstrate a remarkable capacity to enhance psychotherapeutic processes. Insights from Psychedelics and Drug Studies suggest these compounds broaden awareness, enabling a psychotherapist to help patients access repressed memories and conflicts. This application in Psychology and Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications facilitates profound self-insight. Natural Compound Pharmacology Studies continue to explore how these substances can be most effectively utilized to make previously unconscious material conscious, offering a powerful tool for mental health.
Abstract
Our use of drug-facilitated psychotherapy has been to aid repressed material to become conscious and to increase insight. Any method or tool which ...
Acute effects of psilocybin on the dynamics of gaze fixations during visual aesthetic perception
OpenAlex – November 01, 2023
Summary
High doses of psilocybin dramatically alter visual perception, redirecting gaze. Using eye tracking in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design with two distinct psilocybin doses, a study revealed this hallucinogen leads to a more localized visual exploration of paintings, rather than broad scanning. This shift in eye movement and fixation suggests a profound impact on consciousness and cognitive psychology, mediated by altered perception of low-level visual information like textures. Participants reported heightened emotional responses, underscoring psilocybin's effect on how we experience visual stimuli. Neuroscience continues to explore these psychedelic insights.
Abstract
Abstract Rationale Serotonergic psychedelics are remarkable for their capacity to induce variable yet reproducible modifications to human conscious...
Methoxetamine (MXE) – A Phenomenological Study of Experiences Induced by a “Legal High” from the Internet
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs – July 01, 2013
Summary
Profound psychological shifts, including identity dissolution often culminating in spiritual experiences, characterize Methoxetamine (MXE) use. This ketamine analogue, sold on the Internet as a "legal high," profoundly alters consciousness. Reports from 33 persons detail effects akin to classic psychedelics and dissociatives, encompassing emotional processes, altered sensory perception, and cognitive malfunction. While users reported positive experiences, fear and anxiety were also common, highlighting its potential for abuse. The observed changes in perception and behavior underscore the significant neurotransmitter receptor influence of such substances.
Abstract
Methoxetamine (MXE), a ketamine analogue, is one of the new "legal highs" sold on the Internet. The aim of this qualitative study was to provide an...
Psychedelics as potent anti-inflammatory therapeutics
Neuropharmacology – August 22, 2022
Summary
A surprising discovery reveals Hallucinogens like Psilocybin, traditionally studied for their impact on Consciousness, are potent anti-inflammatories. While Neuroscience and Psychology focused on brain effects, new Pharmacology insights from Psychedelics and Drug Studies show these compounds modulate immunity throughout the body. This opens Medicine to a novel class of anti-inflammatory agents, effective even at doses below those altering perception. Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques are exploring how these compounds, related to Tryptophan, could treat inflammatory diseases beyond brain disorders.
Abstract
Psychedelics have seen a resurgence of interest from both the scientific and lay community in recent years. Psychedelics are known for their abilit...
Memory, trauma, and self: Remembering and recovering from sexual abuse in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – October 09, 2024
Summary
Psilocybin offers compelling potential for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from sexual abuse, a condition often resistant to conventional psychotherapy techniques. Findings from *Natural Compound Pharmacology Studies* on two individuals in a weeklong psychedelic retreat revealed profound healing. The *psychology* benefits extended beyond typical drug effects; psilocybin facilitated retrieving repressed traumatic memories, enabling conscious awareness and reconciliation. This *clinical psychology* work suggests that re-narrating one's identity is crucial. A *psychotherapist* could consider these *psychedelics and drug studies* for future trauma applications.
Abstract
Abstract Background and Aims This article examines the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in addressing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as the resu...
Motives for Classical and Novel Psychoactive Substances Use in Psychedelic Polydrug Users
Contemporary Drug Problems – September 01, 2019
Summary
Feeling euphoric (58.0%), enhancing activities (52.3%), and broadening consciousness (48.1%) are key motives for using psychoactive substances. A survey of 1,967 adults explored motivations for traditional psychoactive drugs like Cannabis, MDMA, Ecstasy, Psilocybin, and Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), alongside designer drugs and synthetic cannabinoids. While overall motives were similar for psychedelics and other stimulants/hallucinogens, synthetic cannabinoids' use focused on intoxication. Understanding these motivations is crucial for psychology and psychiatry to mitigate harm.
Abstract
Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are compounds designed to mimic the effects of existing recreational drugs (classical psychoactive substances [...
Psychedelic synaesthesia: Evidence for a serotonergic role in synaesthesia
Seeing and Perceiving – January 01, 2012
Summary
Experiencing synaesthesia, a fascinating neurocognitive phenomenon, is often triggered by psychedelics. A survey of recreational drug users in Psychedelics and Drug Studies found that serotonergic hallucinogens like Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and Psilocybin frequently induce these unique sensory blends. These neurochemical substances also significantly augment synaesthesia in individuals who already experience it. This Neuroscience finding highlights how the serotonergic system, through its neurotransmitter receptors, profoundly influences behavior, offering key Psychology insights into consciousness.
Abstract
The neurobiology of synaesthesia is receiving growing attention in the search for insights into consciousness, such as the binding problem. One way...
Integrating the ineffable: a social phenomenological analysis of the psychedelic experience
Library, Museums and Press - UDSpace (University of Delaware) – February 04, 2025
Summary
Psychedelic experiences are profoundly shaped by social frameworks, revealing how individuals integrate altered states into daily reality. Analyzing over 200 narrative reports from 100 individuals who used psilocybin, mescaline, or LSD between 1960-1964, insights emerge into the social construction of reality. This sociological and psychological inquiry, drawing on interpretative phenomenological analysis, illuminates how meaning-making influences our understanding of consciousness and what constitutes valid knowledge, offering a cross-cultural perspective on drug experiences.
Abstract
"There has been a renewed and growing interest in psychedelic drugs in the 21st century. Drawing on social-phenomenology, cognitive sociology, and ...
Philosophical Perspectives on Psychedelic Psychiatry
OpenAlex – September 13, 2024
Summary
A compelling re-evaluation of psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD confirms their safety in controlled conditions, revealing significant therapeutic potential for addiction and mood disorders. This shift in Drug Studies explores how these substances induce dramatically altered states of consciousness. Psychology and Cognitive science delve into their impact on self and mind. Psychotherapists are actively debating the precise mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted therapy, with Psychoanalysis offering insights into interpreting these profound experiences. Ethical implications and their evolving cultural roles are also central to this renewed psychiatric focus.
Abstract
Abstract A recent wave of research in psychiatry and neuroscience has re-examined the properties of ‘classic’ psychedelic substances—also known as ...
Richard Alpert (Ram Dass): Harvard psychologist who experimented with psychedelic drugs and became one of America’s most prominent and respected spiritual leaders
BMJ – January 31, 2020
Summary
Nothing in Richard Alpert's early life, despite his psychology doctorate, predicted his iconic path. At Harvard, he joined Timothy Leary's drug studies, exploring psilocybin's clinical potential. Alpert's own 10 mg psilocybin experience profoundly questioned consciousness, a realm also explored by psychology and even psychoanalysis. He then collaborated, giving psilocybin and LSD to diverse groups, including students and prisoners, defining 1960s psychedelics and drug studies. Credit: Dassima Kathleen Murphy
Abstract
Credit: Dassima Kathleen Murphy Nothing in Richard Alpert’s early life could have predicted that he would come to embody the spirit of the psychede...
When art therapy went chemical: Alfred Bader, pharmacology, and art brut, c.1950-1970s
História Ciências Saúde-Manguinhos – January 01, 2022
Summary
Psychopharmacology profoundly reshaped psychiatry's view of art. Unearthing the historical context of art therapy, its origins are repositioned through evolving clinical practices and mind-altering drugs. Early 20th-century use of psychotropic drugs influenced the psychopathology of art. Later, psychiatrist Alfred Bader and pharmacologist Roland Fischer conducted post-WWII experiments involving psilocybin, highlighting consciousness in mental health discussions. Psychotherapists in psychology increasingly linked art brut and modernist aesthetics to neurobiology, defining madness as a social disease, impacting art and mental health.
Abstract
Abstract This article analyzes how psychopharmacology transformed the relationship between art and psychiatry. It outlines a novel genealogy of art...
Psychedelic use and psychological flexibility: The role of meaningful intention and decentering
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – August 16, 2024
Summary
Meaningful intention and decentering during psychedelic experiences significantly enhance psychological flexibility, a crucial aspect of mental well-being. Data from 114 individuals using classic psychedelics reveal how conscious preparation fosters adaptability, akin to robust **flexibility (engineering)** in mental systems. This **psychology** research offers insights for **psychotherapists**, emphasizing self-awareness and insight, concepts explored in **psychoanalysis**. **Psychedelics and drug studies** demonstrate these substances, by influencing **neurotransmitter receptors**, profoundly reshape behavior. Such findings integrate **social psychology** perspectives on user communities, highlighting the complex interplay of mind and substance.
Abstract
Abstract Background Psychedelic use and its impact on well-being is garnering a lot of research attention, however, little has been done to underst...
Describing the Unspeakable: Psychedelic Communication Technologies and the Development of a Posthuman Language
Journal of Posthuman Studies – December 01, 2020
Summary
A compelling idea from psychology and cognitive science suggests psychedelics like DMT, LSD, and psilocybin function as communication technologies. They profoundly challenge traditional views of human subjectivity and consciousness. Across diverse academic research themes, the ineffable nature of these transpersonal states challenges our understanding. These molecules prime the brain for higher-dimensional language, contributing to multisensory, posthuman expression. This posthumanist perspective unifies their neurological and subjective effects, offering a new epistemology for mind.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Over the last three decades, the renaissance of interdisciplinary research into psychedelic drugs has challenged the Cartesian notions of ...
Psilocybin-induced modulation of visual salience processing
Neuroscience of Consciousness – January 01, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin profoundly alters conscious visual perception. In a study with 23 participants, high psilocybin doses significantly increased fixation on salient image regions and reduced eye movement distances during natural scene viewing, precisely measured by eye tracking. This suggests heightened visual processing sensitivity to salient cues, fundamentally impacting gaze behavior. Utilizing a deep learning model for visual attention and electroencephalography, findings indicate psilocybin shifts attentional dynamics within cognitive psychology, making visual scanning more exploratory and less predictable. This illuminates how psychedelics reshape visual perception.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelic compounds significantly reshape conscious perception, yet the implications of these alterations for complex visual-guided beha...
Is there mush-room to improve the environmental sustainability of psilocybin production?
Journal of CO2 Utilization – June 10, 2025
Summary
Australia's 2023 approval of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for Treatment Resistant Depression highlights a critical need for sustainable production. Current chemical synthesis of this psychedelic alkaloid faces low yields and high costs. An environmentally conscious alternative, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction from fungi biomass, offers promise. Operating at just 31.7°C and 72 bar, scCO2 provides selective, residue-free extraction of psychedelic tryptamines. This approach could revolutionize psilocybin supply, integrating diverse themes from environmental science to drug studies and production economics, by offering a more efficient and sustainable pathway.
Abstract
Mental health disorders and associated economic impact continue to rise domestically and globally. In 2023, to expand treatment options for individ...
The Experience Elicited by Hallucinogens Presents the Highest Similarity to Dreaming within a Large Database of Psychoactive Substance Reports
Frontiers in Neuroscience – January 22, 2018
Summary
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) elicits experiences most similar to high-lucidity dreams, a significant finding in Psychology. A semantic similarity (geometry) analysis of a large volume of subjective reports confirmed this hallucinogen, a potent psychoactive substance, mirrors dream states more closely than other drugs. This work in Psychedelics and Drug Studies explores altered states of consciousness, showing hallucinogens have the highest dream-like similarity. Understanding these effects, potentially linked to Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, could inform future Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques.
Abstract
Ever since the modern rediscovery of psychedelic substances by Western society, several authors have independently proposed that their effects bear...
IS PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS READY FOR PRIME TIME?
Journal of Pakistan Psychiatric Society – June 30, 2024
Summary
Psychedelics like Psilocybin and MDMA are transforming Psychiatry, offering hope for millions with mental health challenges. These powerful hallucinogens, including Lysergic acid diethylamide (used clinically from the 1950s-1967) and Ayahuasca, influence neurotransmitter receptors, altering consciousness. Clinical psychology and drug studies reveal their potential to disrupt pathological brain activity, promoting neuroplasticity. Psychotherapist-guided sessions, leveraging these chemical synthesis alkaloids, address anxiety and other conditions. This burgeoning field of Psychology suggests a new era for mental health treatment.
Abstract
Psychedelics, substances known to alter perception, mood, and consciousness, have been used across various cultures for centuries, often in religio...
Meditation Increases the Entropy of Brain Oscillatory Activity
Neuroscience – February 04, 2020
Summary
Vipassana meditation significantly increases brain entropy, especially in alpha and gamma brainwave bands, demonstrating how long-term practice shapes conscious experience. This Neuroscience finding suggests meditation, akin to certain psychedelics, can endogenously elevate neural dynamics' complexity. Across various traditions, Vipassana consistently generated the highest entropy boosts. All practices also enhanced gamma band coherence. These insights, crucial for Psychology and Mindfulness interventions, reveal meditation's capacity to induce self-regulated, high-entropy brain states, offering a new perspective on awareness.
Abstract
We address the hypothesis that the entropy of neural dynamics indexes the intensity and quality of conscious content. Previous work established tha...
Effects of psilocybin on personality, psychiatric symptoms, and values: Exploring mediating effects of the acute psychedelic experience
Journal of Psychopharmacology – January 26, 2026
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, significantly shifts personal values, a key area in psychology. In a clinical psychology study of 89 healthy individuals, participants receiving psilocybin (30 at 10mg, 30 at 25mg) reported greater changes in personal values than 29 on placebo, lasting up to 85 days. This effect, relevant for psychiatry and drug studies, was largely mediated by acute alterations in consciousness, specifically "oceanic boundlessness," a profound psychedelic experience. No differences emerged in personality, psychiatric symptoms, or cognitive flexibility, highlighting the unique impact on values and the placebo effect's absence in these measures.
Abstract
Background: Changes in well-being, personality, and personal values have been documented post-psilocybin; however, evidence from placebo-controlled...
Psychedelic VR Experience: An Exploratory Study on Cosmic Flow
OpenAlex – November 09, 2022
Summary
Virtual reality offers a unique avenue for exploring altered states of consciousness. An exploratory research study with six participants investigated the user experience design of a psychedelic VR application. This Human-Computer Interaction and applied psychology effort revealed themes like introspection. Seven design considerations emerged for future virtual reality experiences, including non-invasive multi-sensory modalities and the effects of priming, relevant to agriculture, guiding computer science in Psychedelics and Drug Studies.
Abstract
Virtual environments are emerging as a tool for providing psychede-lic experiences due to the increasing interest in altered states of consciousnes...
Chapter 51. Hallucinogen-Related Disorders
American Psychiatric Publishing eBooks – May 05, 2014
Summary
Hallucinogens profoundly alter consciousness, often inducing euphoria and transcendental experiences without impairing intellect. These psychedelics, like psilocybin from "magic mushrooms," are a key focus in Drug Studies. Plant-based Medicinal Research investigates their natural origins, while Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques illuminate their impact on psychology and psychiatry. Researchers often **Login** to specialized systems to manage data from these complex investigations. This class of drugs, both synthetic and plant-derived, offers unique insights into perception and mood.
Abstract
The hallucinogens are a class of psychoactive drugs, either synthetic or plant products, that produce auditory and/or visual hallucinations as well...
Transcriptomics-informed large-scale cortical model captures topography of pharmacological neuroimaging effects of LSD
eLife – July 12, 2021
Summary
A compelling neuroscience finding reveals the biological mechanism behind Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)'s effects on the human brain. Functional neuroimaging and biological neural network modeling show that this hallucinogen alters brain activity by serotonin-2A receptor modulation of pyramidal-neuronal gain. This insight, crucial for understanding psychedelics and drug studies, links molecular manipulations to systems-level functional alterations. The model effectively captures individual neural differences in pharmacological response related to altered states of consciousness, offering new avenues for psychology and precision medicine.
Abstract
Psychoactive drugs can transiently perturb brain physiology while preserving brain structure. The role of physiological state in shaping neural fun...
Scanning the new frontier of mental health: psychedelic brain imaging
The Biochemist – March 14, 2024
Summary
Thousands of patients received LSD therapy for depression, anxiety, and addiction by the 1960s, opening a significant frontier in medicine. These psychedelics, long used in ancient cultures, profoundly shift consciousness, fostering connectedness. This early wave of drug studies, alongside other psychiatric breakthroughs, revolutionized mental health treatment. Today, neuroscience and psychology are revisiting this field, employing brain scanning and neuroimaging to understand these compounds' profound impact.
Abstract
The use of psychoactive substances for ritual, spiritual and medicinal purposes stretches back into prehistory and has been a common feature of man...
Esse quam Videre: Critical Reflections on the Use of Psilocybin as an Adjuvant in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
Polymatheia. – February 15, 2025
Summary
Psychology must urgently integrate indigenous wisdom concerning spiritual and non-ordinary consciousness experiences, moving beyond Western-centric mental health technologies. This approach advocates for decolonial perspectives in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, involving the psychotherapist in reconnecting individuals with nature. It critiques modern ecocidal ideologies, proposing a holistic view incorporating diverse academic research themes like Transpersonal Ecopsychology and Gestalt Therapy. Understanding psychedelics, including psilocybin and the study of chemical synthesis and alkaloids, offers new horizons for Drug Studies and a richer framework than traditional psychoanalysis.
Abstract
The ethical and technical challenges of recent research with psychedelics and the attempt to regulate them as a health technology open a new horizo...
Philosophy and psychedelics: Frameworks for exceptional experience
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – June 19, 2023
Summary
Psychedelics offer profound insights into the nature of reality. A new book explores the critical intersection between philosophy and psychedelics, two disciplines now in dialogue. It examines how these substances challenge our understanding of consciousness and self, delving into foundational epistemology and metaphysics. The work fosters a dialectic across diverse perspectives, exploring the existential meaning derived from exceptional experiences. Charting new philosophical territory, it bridges philosophy with aspects of psychology and sociology, offering a crucial contribution to drug studies.
Abstract
Abstract The intersection between philosophy and psychedelics is explored in the book “Philosophy and Psychedelics: Frameworks for Exceptional Expe...
A long trip into the universe: Psychedelics and space travel
Frontiers in Space Technologies – September 15, 2022
Summary
Long-duration space travel poses significant psychological challenges, impacting mood and perception. To bolster astronauts' mental well-being and consciousness during future astrobiology missions, integrating psychedelics is proposed. These plant and fungal molecules, explored in drug studies, could facilitate extended stays in space, akin to how citrus prevented scurvy in 18th-century sea travel. Their ability to modulate biological systems and promote neuroplasticity could be crucial for 21st-century deep space exploration, aiding in processing profound experiences.
Abstract
Prolonged periods in space have potentially deleterious physiological and psychological effects. Ensuring the physical health and mental well-being...
Illuminating brain's "dark energy": a living lens of spontaneous slow oscillations. reply to comments on 'dark brain energy: toward an integrative model of spontaneous slow oscillations'.
Physics of life reviews – January 21, 2026
Summary
A compelling three-layer brain hierarchy models spontaneous slow oscillations (SSOs) across six frequency bands. This framework, enriched by seven commentaries, explores SSOs' profound link to consciousness. Discussions delve into geometric foundations, evolutionary mechanisms, and mathematical modeling of traveling waves. The integrated perspective refines understanding of this brain hierarchy, suggesting how neural eigenmodes and predictive coding underpin these fundamental rhythms and their neurocognitive basis.
Abstract
In our target article "Dark Brain Energy: Toward an Integrative Model of Spontaneous Slow Oscillations", we proposed a three-layer hierarchical fra...
Numinous-like symptoms in epilepsy and/or insular tumors: A hospital cohort study.
Epilepsy & behavior : E&B – January 22, 2026
Summary
Seizures can surprisingly trigger profound numinous experiences, including mystical sensations. Among 83 epilepsy patients surveyed, 6.0% reported such symptoms. Separately, 8.7% of 23 tumor patients with pre-existing epilepsy also described them. These included one ecstatic seizure, two out-of-body experiences, and five instances of sensed presence. Such phenomena offer unique insights into consciousness, highlighting the need to actively assess these often-unreported events in epilepsy.
Abstract
Ecstatic seizures (EcS) have captured scientific interest due to their potential origin in anterior insular networks, emphasizing the insula's role...
Psychedelic Therapy: A Primer for Primary Care Clinicians – Part III. N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and Ayahuasca
CrossRef
Summary
A single dose of DMT led to 57% of major depressive disorder patients experiencing remission 12 weeks later. This naturally-occurring psychedelic, also found in ayahuasca, shows significant promise. A separate trial found ayahuasca caused remission in 36% of patients with treatment-resistant depression within one week. While generally safe, ayahuasca can cause transient vomiting. The therapeutic and biological roles of DMT, including its possible link to near-death experiences and its impact on human consciousness, warrant further exploration.
Abstract
Background: N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally-occurring serotonergic psychedelic found in natural plants around the globe. As the main ps...
The Experimental Use of Psychedelic (LSD) Psychotherapy
JAMA – June 15, 1970
Summary
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) generated significant enthusiasm in the 1950s, with claims that it could model psychosis and aid in understanding schizophrenia. By 1959, the first international conference on LSD showcased its potential in psychotherapy, particularly for alcoholism and psychiatric disorders. Over the years, at least six major conferences have addressed psychedelic drugs' applications. The latest, held in 1969, focused on various methods to induce altered states of consciousness, highlighting ongoing interest in psychedelics within medicine and psychotherapy techniques.
Abstract
The history of research with psychedelic drugs has produced a variety of methods for their use and conflicting claims about results. First came the...
Hallucinogens and Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor-Mediated Signaling Pathways
Current topics in behavioral neurosciences – January 01, 2017
Summary
Hallucinogens like psilocybin and LSD significantly alter consciousness, emotion, and cognition. Recent insights reveal that these substances primarily act on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, with effects linked to its agonist activity. This receptor's role is crucial in understanding the neuropsychological impact of hallucinogens, as it connects to mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. With a focus on the receptor’s structure and function, findings highlight how these compounds influence behavior through neurotransmitter signaling, offering potential therapeutic avenues in psychology and pharmacology.
Abstract
The neuropsychological effects of naturally occurring psychoactive chemicals have been recognized for millennia. Hallucinogens, which include natur...
The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review
CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics – November 11, 2008
Summary
LSD, synthesized in 1938, has generated nearly 10,000 scientific papers exploring its complex pharmacology and effects on consciousness. Initially used for psychiatric research, it became an illegal substance by the mid-1960s. Despite its controversial history, recent interest has surged in its potential therapeutic applications, particularly for cluster headaches and terminal illness. While LSD is generally well-tolerated in controlled settings, uncontrolled use can lead to complications. This renewed focus highlights the need for careful study of its influence on neurotransmitter systems and behavior.
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was synthesized in 1938 and its psychoactive effects discovered in 1943. It was used during the 1950s and 1960s as...
The experimental use of psychedelic (LSD) psychotherapy
JAMA – June 15, 1970
Summary
Psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, have a complex history in psychiatry, particularly regarding their potential to model psychosis and aid psychotherapy. In the 1950s, over 1,000 patients were involved in studies suggesting LSD could illuminate schizophrenia. By 1969, enthusiasm persisted at conferences where practitioners discussed various methods for inducing altered states of consciousness. Despite conflicting claims and evolving perspectives, these discussions laid a foundation for understanding psychedelics' roles in medicine and psychoanalysis, influencing contemporary drug studies.
Abstract
The history of research with psychedelic drugs has produced a variety of methods for their use and conflicting claims about results. First came the...