Neuropharmacological modulation of the aberrant bodily self through psychedelics
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 6, 2019 Jasmine T. Ho, Katrin H. Preller, Bigna Lenggenhager 61 citations
The body continuously shapes cognition through sensory input and self-referential processing. In healthy individuals, predictive coding integrates multisensory information to form a coherent sense of self. Psychiatric disorders often involve distorted perceptions of the bodily self, linked to disrupted integration and updating of multisensory systems. Changes in functional connectivity between somatomotor and high-level association networks in these disorders may be remediated by 5-HT2A receptor agonism via psychedelics. Psychedelic experiences alter bodily self-awareness, suggesting a central role for the bodily self. The article proposes that psychedelic-induced desynchronization of predictive coding involves modulation of somatomotor, sensorimotor, and high-level association networks, potentially correcting aberrant bodily self-perceptions.