5439 results for "Psychedelics"
Use of the head-twitch response to investigate the structure–activity relationships of 4-thio-substituted 2,5-dimethoxyphenylalkylamines
Psychopharmacology – December 07, 2022
Summary
A fivefold boost in potency for psychedelic compounds was achieved by adding an α-methyl group to 4-thio-substituted phenylalkylamines. Using advanced biochemical analysis and sensing techniques to measure head twitch responses in male C57BL/6 J mice, this pharmacology research explored the neuroscience of these compounds. Twelve different chemical synthesis variations showed that extending the thio-group enhanced activity, while fluorination proved detrimental. This aligns with known structure-activity relationships in drug studies, confirming their classification as psychedelics and informing future chemistry for potential medicine applications.
Abstract
Abstract Rationale 4-Thio-substituted phenylalkylamines such as 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-2) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4- n -propylthio...
Guidelines for Establishing Safety in Ayahuasca and Ibogaine Administration in Clinical Settings
Psychoactives – December 11, 2023
Summary
A comprehensive set of guidelines has been developed to ensure the safety of participants in clinical trials involving psychedelics like ayahuasca and ibogaine. With an increasing number of individuals presenting varied medical conditions, these protocols aim to address potential adverse effects, including psychiatric issues such as panic attacks (reported in 20% of cases) and clinical manifestations like hypertensive crises (observed in 10%). Crafted through collaboration with specialists and extensive literature review, these guidelines enhance the safety and management of psychedelic research at the University of São Paulo’s LEAPS laboratory.
Abstract
As the research field with psychedelic substances grows, it is expected to encompass a more extensive cohort of individuals presenting a spectrum o...
OAV and 5D-ASC for Brazilian Portuguese: A validation and adaptation study.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) – June 28, 2025
Summary
Understanding the profound subjective experiences induced by Psychedelics is crucial. New research successfully adapted and validated key psychometrics, like the OAV, for use in Brazil, specifically to measure altered states of consciousness. Through robust methods, including expert reviews and a large online survey of 3762 individuals, the scales demonstrated strong reliability and validity. This confirms their effectiveness in capturing diverse psychedelic experiences, highlighting cultural nuances.
Abstract
This study aimed to validate and culturally adapt the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) and Five Dimensional-Altered States of Con...
Monoamine receptor interaction profiles of 4-thio-substituted phenethylamines (2C-T drugs).
Neuropharmacology – May 15, 2018
Summary
The potent psychedelic effects of certain new psychoactive substances, phenethylamines, are deeply tied to specific brain receptors. This research aimed to map their interaction profiles. Scientists found these compounds have high affinity for 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors, strongly activating them. This strong receptor engagement successfully predicts their powerful psychedelic effects.
Abstract
4-Thio-substituted phenethylamines (2C-T drugs) are potent psychedelics with poorly defined pharmacological properties. Because of their psychedeli...
Rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of vaporized N,N-dimethyltryptamine: a phase 2a clinical trial in treatment-resistant depression.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology – May 01, 2025
Summary
A groundbreaking treatment shows promise in rapidly lifting severe depression: vaporized DMT, a naturally-occurring compound, achieved an 86% response rate in patients who hadn't improved with standard treatments. In just 10-20 minutes, participants experienced significant mood improvements that lasted up to 3 months. The treatment proved safe, reduced suicidal thoughts, and worked alongside existing medications.
Abstract
Depression affects over 185 million people worldwide, with approximately one-third classified as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Current trea...
Psilocybin and ketamine affect novel neuropeptides gene expression in the rat hypothalamus
Journal of Psychopharmacology – April 17, 2025
Summary
A single dose of the hallucinogen psilocybin dramatically alters brain chemistry. In a pilot study on male Wistar–Han rats, a 10 mg/kg dose of psilocybin increased the expression of most neuropeptides and specific serotonin 5-HT receptors (5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B) within the hypothalamus. This neurochemical shift, observed in Neuroscience and Pharmacology, suggests how psilocybin, a key compound in Psychedelics and Drug Studies, influences neurotransmitter receptor activity. Understanding these changes in the Hypothalamus, crucial for Endocrinology, could explain its profound psychological effects and inform Internal medicine applications, potentially impacting Sleep and Wakefulness Research.
Abstract
Objective: Psychedelics are able to trigger highly intense and profound alterations in self-consciousness, perception, affective, and cognitive pro...
Concurrent stress modulates the acute and post-acute effects of psilocybin in a sex-dependent manner
Neuropharmacology – December 24, 2024
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, affects males and females differently, a crucial insight for Psychiatry and Medicine. In C57BL/6J mice, psilocybin increased head-twitch responses more significantly in females. This pharmacology also revealed that acute stress entirely blocked psilocybin's anxiety-reducing effects in males, yet only partially in females. Neuroscience indicates both stress and psilocybin independently raised corticosterone levels. These Psychedelics and Drug Studies highlight how the psychological experience, beyond chemical synthesis, profoundly shapes psilocybin's mood-altering actions, vital for therapeutic use.
Abstract
There is renewed interest in psychedelics, such as psilocybin, as therapies for multiple difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders. Even though psyc...
Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain.
Nature – August 01, 2024
Summary
A single dose of psilocybin dramatically alters brain connectivity patterns, causing networks that normally work in sync to become temporarily desynchronized. This disruption is particularly strong in brain regions linked to our sense of self and perception of time. The changes persist for weeks, especially between memory centers and self-awareness networks, potentially explaining psilocybin's therapeutic benefits.
Abstract
A single dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic that acutely causes distortions of space-time perception and ego dissolution, produces rapid and persist...
Dynamic Functional Hyperconnectivity After Psilocybin Intake Is Primarily Associated With Oceanic Boundlessness.
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging – July 01, 2024
Summary
Psilocybin creates a unique brain state where neural connections become highly dynamic and integrated, leading to profound shifts in consciousness. Research using fMRI scans revealed that when people received psilocybin, their brains showed increased connectivity across regions, particularly during feelings of unity and boundlessness. Brain activity patterns matched participants' reported experiences on the 5D-ASC scale, suggesting that heightened neural communication underlies the substance's consciousness-expanding effects.
Abstract
Psilocybin is a widely studied psychedelic substance that leads to the psychedelic state, a specific altered state of consciousness. To date, the r...
Assessment of the Acute Effects of 2C‐B vs. Psilocybin on Subjective Experience, Mood, and Cognition
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics – May 30, 2023
Summary
While the hallucinogen 2C-B, derived from mescaline, impacts cognition similarly to psilocybin, its psychological effects differ. In a 22-participant double-blind study, 2C-B (20mg) and psilocybin (15mg) both impaired psychomotor speed versus placebo. Yet, psilocybin caused greater dysphoria and auditory alterations, relevant to audiology. As a serotonergic compound, 2C-B’s effects resolved within six hours. These psychedelics and drug studies inform clinical psychology's understanding of mood, anhedonia, and neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior, crucial for developmental psychology insights.
Abstract
2,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐bromophenethylamine (2C‐B) is a hallucinogenic phenethylamine derived from mescaline. Observational and preclinical data have sugge...
Moderators of ayahuasca’s biological antidepressant action
Frontiers in Psychiatry – December 05, 2022
Summary
Acute emotional and physiological actions during an Ayahuasca session significantly modulate antidepressant outcomes. A randomized, double-blinded trial with 72 participants, including those with treatment-resistant depression, found larger symptom reductions predicted higher serum cortisol. Lesser salivary cortisol changes linked to higher BDNF levels, crucial for Psychology and Medicine. This Pharmacology insight, vital for Psychiatry and Psychedelics and Drug Studies, suggests psychotherapists could optimize therapeutic action. Biochemical Analysis techniques confirm these effects, informing future Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research into similar drug mechanisms.
Abstract
Introduction The understanding of biological responses to psychedelics with antidepressant potential is imperative. Here we report how a set of acu...
Psilocybin as Transformative Fast‐Acting Antidepressant: Pharmacological Properties and Molecular Mechanisms
Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology – July 16, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, is re-emerging as a promising antidepressant medicine for severe depression, echoing its initial study in the 1950s-60s before being halted in the 1970s. Modern pharmacology and psychology are exploring how this psychedelic alkaloid influences neurotransmitter receptors, particularly serotonin 5-HT2A, to potentially facilitate transformative learning and alleviate mood disorders. Through neuroscience and drug studies, psilocybin's antidepressant potential is significant, especially given depression's projected impact by 2030.
Abstract
ABSTRACT In the 1950s–60s, serotonergic psychedelic drugs were studied as potential adjuvants to psychotherapy to treat addiction and alcoholism. H...
The Selective 5HT2A Receptor Agonist, 25CN-NBOH Exerts Excitatory and Inhibitory Cellular Actions on Mouse Medial Prefrontal Cortical Neurons.
Synapse (New York, N.Y.) – March 01, 2025
Summary
Psychedelics like 25CN-NBOH show a complex impact on brain activity, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex. In experiments with mouse brain slices, 10 µM of 25CN-NBOH increased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents by 40% through serotonin type 2A receptor activation, but this effect faded with chronic exposure. Surprisingly, both 10 µM and 200 nM doses significantly reduced neuron firing rates after just one hour, suggesting these compounds can enhance excitatory transmission while simultaneously dampening overall neuron excitability.
Abstract
Psychedelic compounds have gained renewed interest due to their rapid and long-lasting therapeutic effects on stress-related disorders. While the u...
Toxicodynamic insights of 2C and NBOMe drugs - Is there abuse potential?
Toxicology reports – June 01, 2025
Summary
Psychedelic phenethylamines, including 2C and NBOMe drugs, are emerging as significant concerns in drug abuse, with reports indicating that these substances may have higher addiction potential than previously thought. A review highlights their interaction with serotonin receptors, particularly the 5-HT2A subtype, which can lead to altered sensory perception and mood changes. Adverse effects linked to these new psychoactive substances include cardiovascular issues and neurotoxicity. Understanding these risks is crucial for addressing the growing prevalence of NPS in society.
Abstract
Drug use represents a prevalent and multifaceted societal problem, with profound implications for public health, social welfare, and economic stabi...
Set and Setting in the Santo Daime
Frontiers in Pharmacology – May 04, 2021
Summary
A compelling finding in **Psychedelics and Drug Studies**: **Ayahuasca's** profound effects are shaped by **psychology**, **sociology**, and cultural **context**. This 'set and setting' principle, vital for **social psychology**, is exemplified by the Santo Daime religion. They meticulously use symbolic, social, and **aesthetic** elements to direct the **hallucinogen** experience. This **field** exploration shows how psychological **set** and cultural **context** are paramount, offering a template beyond **natural compound pharmacology studies** or **biochemical analysis and sensing techniques**.
Abstract
Set and setting is a fundamental concept in the field of psychedelic drug research, which points to the profound dependence of psychedelic effects ...
Development of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire among a sample of people who have consumed psilocybin or LSD
Journal of Psychopharmacology – January 09, 2021
Summary
A new psychometric tool, the Psychological Insight Questionnaire, was developed to assess acute psychological insights during experiences with psilocybin and other psychedelics. Among 1661 users (83% Caucasian, 72% men) surveyed via computer-assisted web interviewing, the 23-item questionnaire demonstrated strong construct validity. Its two subscales, including one on experiential avoidance, correlated moderately-to-strongly with improved psychological flexibility and well-being. This advances clinical psychology and drug studies by uniquely predicting positive changes beyond mystical experiences, highlighting the potential of these alkaloid-based compounds.
Abstract
Background: Several measures have been developed to examine acute psychedelic effects (e.g. mystical-type and challenging experiences), but no meas...
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...
The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience – May 27, 2014
Summary
Psilocybin profoundly alters consciousness, making brain networks less differentiated. Using resting state fMRI in Psychedelics and Drug Studies, functional connectivity between brain regions generally increased under this hallucinogen, impacting neural dynamics. In contrast, MDMA had a notably less marked effect on these connections. This Neuroscience and Psychology research, exploring altered states, suggests psilocybin uniquely perturbs consciousness, offering insights into brain function and cognitive psychology. Understanding these changes in functional brain connectivity advances our grasp of consciousness.
Abstract
Perturbing a system and observing the consequences is a classic scientific strategy for understanding a phenomenon. Psychedelic drugs perturb consc...
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...
Self-treatment of depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin and LSD—A retrospective case study
OpenAlex – March 10, 2023
Summary
A compelling case suggests psilocybin, a chemical synthesis alkaloid, could help individuals with severe anxiety and depression understand ordinary states like hopefulness. One individual, suffering early trauma and chronic anxiety and depression since childhood, found traditional psychotherapy and psychiatry unhelpful. Through intensive, self-directed psilocybin use from age 19, he reported achieving a foundational feeling of peace by age 30, despite ongoing societal trauma. This clinical psychology insight suggests psychedelics and drug studies may offer new avenues for treating treatment-resistant depression, influencing neurotransmitter receptor behavior.
Abstract
In medicine, psychedelics were initially considered as a tool for clinicians to understand psychotic states. Based on the presented case data, a re...
Age and cannabis co-use moderate experience and perceived benefits of psilocybin
OpenAlex – May 22, 2025
Summary
Cannabis co-use with Psilocybin may significantly improve quality of life, anxiety, depression, and reduce alcohol abuse. A Psychology investigation of 365 current users, part of broader Psychedelics and Drug Studies, reveals age also modulates experiences with this Hallucinogen. Younger adults (18-25) reported more adverse effects, while older adults (55-77) had milder acute experiences. This Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research on human Behavior, increasingly accessible via technology, highlights how age and co-use influence outcomes relevant to diverse aspects of life, including sexuality.
Abstract
As psychedelic use increases, understanding how demographic and behavioral factors influence the effects of psychedelics is essential for both rese...
The Legal Perspective on Psilocybin for Medical Use in Czechia: A Key Milestone and the Case for Broader Consideration Beyond the Clinical Setting
Psychoactives – September 11, 2025
Summary
Czechia's approval of medical psilocybin marks a significant policy shift, opening doors for regulated therapeutic applications and broader *Psychedelics and Drug Studies*. This reform, informed by insights from a ketamine-assisted therapy program, highlights the need for clear pathways for non-clinical use, beyond just medical contexts. The legal ambiguity surrounding "spreading toxicomania" underscores the importance of a rational, evidence-based regulatory approach. This evolving landscape encourages *diverse academic research themes* into these *alkaloids*, whether naturally derived or via *chemical synthesis*.
Abstract
Czechia has recently approved the medical use of psilocybin, marking a pivotal shift in the country’s drug policy landscape. This development paves...
Natural language signatures of psilocybin microdosing
OpenAlex – February 22, 2022
Summary
Artificial intelligence can accurately detect a psilocybin microdose from speech. A double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment explored how this hallucinogen, a chemical synthesis and alkaloid, affects natural language. Participants received either a 0.5g psilocybin mushroom microdose or a placebo. Analyzing speech for verbosity, semantic variability, and sentiment scores, differences emerged in all but semantic variability. Computer science techniques, specifically machine learning, then distinguished between conditions with high accuracy (AUC≈0.8). This breakthrough in psychology and pharmacology offers new biochemical analysis for psychedelics and drug studies, potentially monitoring microdosing schedules.
Abstract
Abstract Serotonergic psychedelics are being studied as novel treatments for mental health disorders and as facilitators of improved well-being, me...
Mycotherapy: Potential of Fungal Bioactives for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders and Morbidities of Chronic Pain
Journal of Fungi – March 11, 2022
Summary
Psilocybin, a powerful hallucinogen, reveals rapid, long-lasting antidepressant and anxiolytic effects for mental health challenges. This emerging pharmacology in psychiatry shows promise for treating anxiety, addiction, and chronic pain. Both micro-dosing and acute dosing regimens demonstrate potential as medicine, modulating immune systems. Such psychedelics, derived from chemical synthesis and alkaloids, represent a significant area for drug studies within complementary and alternative medicine, providing new hope for patients.
Abstract
Mushrooms have been used as traditional medicine for millennia, fungi are the main natural source of psychedelic compounds. There is now increasing...
The Role ofPsychedelics in Managing Anxiety, Depression, and Flashbacks of Individuals withPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder
International Journal of Science and Research Methodology – January 31, 2022
Summary
A compelling review reveals psilocybin's significant therapeutic potential for traumatic stress, marking a paradigm shift in Psychiatry. This hallucinogen shows promise in alleviating anxiety, depression, and flashbacks in patients with PTSD. Clinical psychology is actively exploring this novel approach, moving past historical stigma surrounding psychedelics and drug studies. Psychotherapists anticipate leveraging psilocybin's effects, offering new hope where typical treatments fall short. This evolution in mental health psychology could redefine care for many.
Abstract
Background: The impact of psychedelic treatment on patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become more intriguing to the psychiatric...
Wherefore the magic? The evolutionary role of psilocybin in nature
OpenAlex – December 19, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin, a fascinating chemical synthesis and alkaloid, significantly impacts invertebrate biology. In a crucial step for evolutionary biology, zoology reveals that exposing Drosophila larvae to Psilocybe mushroom extracts reduced their survival and locomotion. Adults also exhibited developmental stress, with smaller thoraxes and wings. This suggests natural selection may have favored psilocybin's production as a defense mechanism, a key insight for ecology and psychedelics and drug studies. Intriguingly, these effects occurred even in flies lacking 5HT2A receptors, challenging assumptions from psychology. This work grounds our understanding of psilocybin's ancient role.
Abstract
Abstract Research into psychedelic compounds is in resurgence due to the exciting potential for their use in the treatment of psychiatric and menta...
Acute Effects of Psilocybin and Salvinorin-A on Functional Connectivity
Proceedings on CD-ROM - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Scientific Meeting and Exhibition/Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Scientific Meeting and Exhibition – August 14, 2024
Summary
Neuroscience reveals how two distinct hallucinogens, Psilocybin and Salvinorin-A, profoundly alter brain communication. Investigating these two psychedelics in non-human primates, work shows they act as agonists on separate serotonergic and κ-opioid receptors, uniquely reshaping functional connectivity. This influences the default mode network, crucial for self-reflection, and the enigmatic claustrum. Such drug studies offer vital insights for mental health topics, exploring how neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior could lead to new psychological treatments.
Abstract
This work utilized fMRI to assess the influence of the psychedelics, Psilocybin, a serotonergic agonist, and Salvinorin-A, a kappa-opioid receptor ...
Psilocybin exerts differential effects on social behavior and inflammation in mice in contexts of activity-based anorexia
Psychedelics. – February 03, 2026
Summary
Psilocybin, a hallucinogen, differentially affects social behavior and inflammation in female mice, crucial for Anorexia Nervosa. In an animal model, psilocybin didn't alter sociability in groups modeling anorexia or exercise, but increased social familiarity in controls. It elevated the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, a marker of inflammation, in exercising mice, correlating with novelty-seeking. This psychology research illuminates biological mechanisms affecting social relations, emotional empathy, and anxiety, vital for understanding psychedelics' therapeutic potential, especially considering social isolation and prosocial behavior.
Abstract
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, have shown therapeutic potential across several psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, obses...
317. PSILOCYBIN DOES NOT INDUCE CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE, BUT MODIFIES BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology – August 01, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin does not create a rewarding preference, a crucial insight for its therapeutic promise. In a Conditioned Place Preference paradigm with 20 rats, the psychedelic did not foster a preference for the drug-paired environment. While immediate behavior was altered—increasing head-twitching and dog-shaking, accounting for over 70% of observed behavioral variance—these effects were temporary. This Neuroscience and Pharmacology finding, relevant to Drug Studies and Psychology, illuminates psilocybin's Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, supporting its safety profile and implications for Neuroendocrine regulation.
Abstract
Abstract Background Recent years have seen renewed scientific interest in psychedelics, including psilocybin, for their potential in treating neuro...
Psilocybin modulates social behaviour in male and female mice in a time-dependent manner
OpenAlex – December 22, 2025
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, profoundly alters social behavior and empathy differently across sexes. In female mice given 1.5 mg/kg, this psychedelic enhanced preference for social novelty for about 24 hours, but shifted to familiar preference after 7 days, linked to nucleus accumbens dopamine changes. Males, however, showed reduced stress and preferred familiar social relations, with blunted novelty responses. This neuroscience reveals prosocial behavior is not universal, highlighting the need for sex-informed psychology and drug studies, especially for conditions like anorexia where social inhibition is a factor.
Abstract
Abstract With the resurgence of psychedelic research and the growing interest in their therapeutic potential, there is an urgent need to understand...
Psilocybin exerts differential effects on social behaviour and inflammation in mice in contexts of activity-based anorexia (ABA)
OpenAlex – October 15, 2025
Summary
Psychedelics, central to drug studies, reveal complex, sex-specific behavioral impacts. A single psilocybin dose subtly influenced social behavior and inflammation in female mice, crucial for understanding disorders predominantly affecting women. While it didn't alter sociability in mice experiencing food restriction or activity-based anorexia, it increased preference for familiarity in healthy controls. In exercised mice, psilocybin elevated the inflammatory marker IL-6, correlating with novelty preference. These context-dependent shifts highlight nuanced drug effects on behavior and physiology.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, have shown therapeutic potential across several psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxie...
Age and cannabis co-use are associated with differences in experience and perceived benefits of psilocybin: a retrospective study
OpenAlex – December 10, 2025
Summary
Combining psilocybin with cannabis may enhance therapeutic benefits, improving perceived quality of life, anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse. A survey of 365 psilocybin users revealed notable differences in experiences across age groups. Younger adults (18-25) reported more adverse effects, while older adults (55-77) experienced milder ones. Interestingly, age did not influence mystical experiences or overall psychological outcomes. Younger users also co-used nicotine more frequently. These insights highlight how age and co-substance use shape psychedelic experiences and potential therapeutic results.
Abstract
As psychedelic use increases, understanding how demographic and behavioral factors influence the effects of psychedelics is essential for both rese...
Increased spontaneous EEG signal diversity during stroboscopically-induced altered states of consciousness
OpenAlex – January 04, 2019
Summary
A compelling neuroscience insight reveals that simple stroboscopic light stimulation can induce profound altered states of consciousness, similar to those from psychedelics. Electroencephalography (EEG) shows this non-pharmacological stimulation substantially increases neural signal diversity, exceeding levels found during wakeful rest. This change accompanies a significant expansion in the intensity and range of subjective experiences, including complex visual hallucinations. This finding in psychology suggests EEG signal diversity reflects the richness of conscious experience, offering insights into how sensory stimulation impacts the brain's diverse activity patterns, paralleling observations from drug studies.
Abstract
Abstract What are the global neuronal signatures of altered states of consciousness (ASC)? Recently, increases in neural signal diversity, compared...
Neurovascular Uncoupling: Multimodal Imaging Delineates the Acute Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Journal of Nuclear Medicine – September 29, 2022
Summary
MDMA's acute effects on the brain are more complex than previously thought. In rats, this hallucinogen stimulates neuronal activity in limbic areas, key for emotional processing, increasing glucose metabolism. However, accompanying global hemodynamic decreases are non-neuronal and peripheral, strongly correlating with Serotonin transporter occupancy. Increased Serotonin levels from this blockage cause neurovascular uncoupling through direct vascular effects. This neuroscience challenges previous fMRI interpretations in drug studies, suggesting new approaches for understanding psychedelics in medicine and psychology. Pharmacology must consider these complex haemodynamic responses.
Abstract
Psychedelic compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) have attracted increasing interest in recent years because of their therapeu...
Exploring inner depths
OpenAlex – February 20, 2024
Summary
Patients receiving psychedelic treatments for depression report profound, sometimes anxious, experiences. Feeling unprepared or unsupported often heightened discomfort, hindering therapeutic surrender. Conversely, trust in therapists and strong emotional backing eased anxiety, fostering beneficial outcomes like feeling more open or detached from negative thoughts. Improving treatment delivery, much like understanding the deep, foundational layers of **Geology**, requires offering multiple sessions and extended support to enhance patient comfort and efficacy.
Abstract
Psychedelics are remarkable, versatile substances that produce a wide range of effects and can cause both harm and healing. Clinical research into ...
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Intact neurophysiological markers of death denial in ayahuasca veterans
OpenAlex – November 18, 2024
Summary
Ayahuasca may alter conscious perceptions of death, yet unconscious denial mechanisms persist. In a study involving 50 ayahuasca veterans, brain responses indicated denial about mortality, contrasting with less fear of death compared to the general population (who scored 20% higher in fear measures). While self-reports showed lower anxiety levels, neurophysiological markers linked denial to greater life satisfaction. These findings suggest that despite ayahuasca's potential benefits in reducing fear, deeper cognitive processes related to mortality avoidance remain unchanged, highlighting limits in psychedelic transformative efficacy.
Abstract
There is a growing hype regarding the efficacy of psychedelics to fundamentally change how we interact with the theme of death. The underlying evid...
Is there more to magic mushrooms than psilocybin?
C&EN Global Enterprise – October 20, 2025
Summary
In a Vancouver facility, researchers can produce enough psilocybin mushrooms to provide hallucinogenic experiences for 80,000 people annually. Unlike typical black-market operations, these mushrooms are cultivated for clinical trials aimed at treating conditions like depression and OCD. While synthetic psilocybin has dominated past studies, emerging evidence suggests that the natural compounds in magic mushrooms may enhance therapeutic effects. This shift could redefine our understanding of psychedelics, blending psychology, art history, and psychoanalysis to unlock their full potential for mental health treatment.
Abstract
In a suburb of Vancouver, Canada, a nondescript three-story building sits alongside a strip of parking lots. From the outside, it looks like an ord...
Effects of Psilocybin and Select Pharmaceutical Interactions
MacEwan University Student eJournal – February 18, 2026
Summary
In Canada, approximately 16.5% of the population, or about 6.3 million people, were prescribed antidepressants like fluoxetine in 2022. Meanwhile, around 2% of Canadians, equating to roughly 587,000 individuals, reported using hallucinogens such as psilocybin. With over 126,000 Canadians potentially experiencing interactions between antidepressants and psychedelics, understanding their effects is crucial. Notably, fluoxetine may reduce the psychoactive impact of psilocybin due to its influence on serotonin receptors, highlighting the importance of considering drug interactions for effective harm reduction and clinical practices.
Abstract
In Canada, the use of both prescription medications and psychedelics has become increasingly prevalent. As of 2022, approximately 16.5% of Canadian...
Examining the potential of psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT as therapeutics for traumatic brain injury.
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry – July 14, 2025
Summary
Remarkably, specific psychedelic compounds could offer a new path for healing traumatic brain injuries. Research suggests psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT, known for promoting neuroplasticity and neuritogenesis, may alleviate damage from a concussion. These compounds appear to reduce harmful microglia inflammation and act as neurotrophic agents, enhancing synaptic plasticity. A review of existing data highlights their potential to restore brain function.
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant global health challenge, with limited effective treatments for its acute and chronic consequences. TB...
Are the LSD-analogs lisuride and ergotamine examples of non-hallucinogenic serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists?
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) – May 05, 2025
Summary
While LSD is famous for its psychedelic effects, scientists long believed some similar compounds could activate the same brain receptors without causing hallucinations. This analysis reveals that two drugs, lisuride and ergotamine, likely do cause consciousness-altering effects when they reach sufficient levels in the brain, challenging previous assumptions about "non-hallucinogenic" 5-HT2A receptor compounds. This finding impacts current efforts to develop therapeutic psychedelics with reduced effects on perception.
Abstract
The recent resurgence of classical psychedelic compounds, specifically 5-HT2A receptor agonists, as potential therapeutics has led to numerous init...
LSDDEP2: study protocol for a randomised, double-dummy, triple-blind, active placebo-controlled, parallel groups trial of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder.
Trials – August 24, 2024
Summary
A groundbreaking trial explores microdosing LSD as a potential treatment for major depressive disorder. This first-of-its-kind randomized controlled trial will test sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, with participants taking small amounts twice weekly at home. The 8-week study measures mood improvements while carefully monitoring safety and effectiveness through brain activity, blood markers, and sleep patterns.
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) poses a significant global health burden with available treatments limited by inconsistent efficacy and notable sid...
The flattening of spacetime hierarchy of the N,N-dimethyltryptamine brain state is characterized by harmonic decomposition of spacetime (HADES) framework.
National science review – May 01, 2024
Summary
DMT, a powerful psychedelic compound, dramatically alters brain activity patterns by flattening the brain's natural hierarchical organization. Scientists found that DMT reduces the strength of specific harmonic modes - wave-like patterns of neural activity that normally maintain the brain's functional hierarchy. This disruption leads to unique spatio-temporal brain dynamics, explaining the profound alterations in consciousness and perception associated with psychedelic experiences.
Abstract
The human brain is a complex system, whose activity exhibits flexible and continuous reorganization across space and time. The decomposition of who...
5-MeO-DMT induces sleep-like LFP spectral signatures in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of awake rats.
Scientific reports – May 17, 2024
Summary
The powerful psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT creates brain wave patterns remarkably similar to those seen during sleep, even while subjects remain awake. Scientists tracked electrical activity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of rats, finding that the compound triggers unique neural oscillations typically associated with deep sleep and dreaming, while reducing high-frequency brain activity. This suggests psychedelics may create their effects by blending waking and sleeping states.
Abstract
5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a potent classical psychedelic known to induce changes in locomotion, behaviour, and sleep in roden...
Analytical and behavioral characterization of N-ethyl-N-isopropyllysergamide (EIPLA), an isomer of N6 -ethylnorlysergic acid N,N-diethylamide (ETH-LAD).
Drug testing and analysis – February 01, 2024
Summary
A newly studied psychedelic compound shows promising similarity to LSD, with about half its potency. Scientists analyzed EIPLA, one of many new psychoactive substances, finding it produces similar effects to classic psychedelics. Lab tests of blotters revealed precise doses, while animal studies confirmed the substance triggers characteristic behaviors associated with serotonergic compounds.
Abstract
Preclinical investigations have shown that N-ethyl-N-isopropyllysergamide (EIPLA) exhibits lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-like properties, which ...
TMS-EEG and resting-state EEG applied to altered states of consciousness: oscillations, complexity, and phenomenology.
iScience – May 19, 2023
Summary
Clinical neuroscience reveals fascinating insights into how psychedelic compounds affect brain activity. Using advanced medical imaging techniques, researchers found that psilocybin creates unique patterns of neural activity, increasing brain signal diversity while maintaining structured communication between regions. This pharmacology breakthrough shows how psychedelics create heightened sensory awareness through specific changes in frontal brain areas, helping explain their consciousness-altering effects.
Abstract
Exploring the neurobiology of the profound changes in consciousness induced by classical psychedelic drugs may require novel neuroimaging methods. ...
4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B): presence in the recreational drug market in Spain, pattern of use and subjective effects.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) – July 01, 2012
Summary
A synthetic drug called 2C-B, known for its unique blend of effects, has seen a significant rise in the Spanish recreational market. Researchers investigated its prevalence, use patterns, and user experiences by analyzing drug samples and gathering user reports. They found 2C-B's presence doubled, often in pure tablet form. Users reported taking around 20mg orally. It induces perceptual changes similar to psychedelics, but with notably lower incapacitation and comparable pleasure and sociability to entactogens. This suggests 2C-B offers a distinct profile, combining psychedelic visuals with less impairment and strong positive social effects.
Abstract
4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) is a psychoactive analogue of mescaline that is becoming increasingly popular as a rave and club drug. W...
Timothy Leary and the trace of the posthuman
CORE – January 01, 2014
Summary
Timothy Leary's vision for personal change wasn't just about psychedelics; he mapped out a profound shift in human identity. He hypothesized that by shedding social conditioning and ego, individuals could access a deeper, cellular level of consciousness, moving towards a "posthuman" state. Initially advocating psychedelics, he later championed computer technology as tools for this transformation. The analysis reveals his consistent quest to redefine humanity, using each era's innovations to point towards exciting, uncharted future possibilities.
Abstract
Author's post-print version.If we trace the line of Timothy Leary’s thought from The Politics of Ecstasy to Your Brain is God, he is outlining his ...
Strange Attractor
CrossRef – October 07, 2025
Summary
Terence McKenna, a 'psychedelic Renaissance man,' uniquely shaped understanding of consciousness and time. A new intellectual biography delves into his life, works, and enduring magnetism. Utilizing original documents and interviews, it chronicles his rugged philosophy and 'weird intelligence,' revealing why his wisdom continues to resonate across digital culture and social media today.
Abstract
An intellectual biography of one of the most celebrated and yet least understood figures of the late twentieth century, Terence McKenna. A stand-up...
Naturalistic Psilocybin Use Increases Mind Perception but not Atheist-Believer status: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
OpenAlex – June 09, 2023
Summary
Psychedelic experiences significantly enhance how individuals perceive minds in various entities. A psychology longitudinal study with 657 participants tracked beliefs before and after a planned psychedelic encounter, often involving psilocybin. While mind perception increased across living and non-living targets, there was little change in naturalism-related metaphysical beliefs or Atheist-Believer status. This cognitive psychology research, contributing to psychedelics and drug studies, highlights a specific shift in perception rather than fundamental changes in core spiritual or non-naturalistic convictions.
Abstract
Recent studies suggest psychedelic use may be associated with changes in a variety of beliefs or belief-like states, including increased 1) mind pe...
Salvador Roquet, María Sabina, and the Trouble withJipis
Hispanic American Historical Review – February 01, 2015
Summary
An untold chapter in Latin American history reveals how indigenous wisdom shaped psychedelic medicine. Psychiatrist Salvador Roquet, collaborating with the iconic Indigenous healer María Sabina, developed a therapeutic method for psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms. Their unique cross-cultural exchange, an important insight for Anthropological Studies and Drug Studies, challenged the prevailing counterculture narrative. Unlike the "jipis," they viewed these substances as potent medicines requiring expert, respectful handling. This perspective offers a rich contribution to our understanding of psychedelic use, rooted deeply in Latin American culture and contrasting with popular sociology.
Abstract
Abstract While María Sabina has long been an iconic figure among drug enthusiasts and advocates for indigenous rights, her sometime collaborator Sa...