Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
July 1, 2015
Giuseppe Valeriani, Ornella Corazza, Francesco Saverio Bersani et al.
41 citations
People who use novel psychoactive substances (NPS) often self-administer olanzapine to manage psychotic crises or 'bad trips,' a practice facilitated by online sharing of experiences and easy access to medications. Exploratory searches of 163 discussion forums and websites in four languages from November 2012 to 2013 found that olanzapine is the most frequently self-prescribed drug for this purpose, typically taken for a few days at 5–50 mg/day. Only a few formal studies have assessed olanzapine's effectiveness for NPS-induced psychosis, yet pro-drug websites describe it as the 'ideal' molecule to terminate bad trips. Health professionals should be informed about risks of olanzapine misuse.
Frontiers in Psychology
April 25, 2025
Antonio Metastasio, Elisabeth Prevete, Sofia Venturini et al.
8 citations
People who took psilocybin without other substances reported lasting increases in emotional sensitivity, empathy, and connection to others, along with deeper insights into their lives and values. The experience also led to profound shifts in behavior, attitudes, and interests, suggesting psilocybin can catalyze personal growth. This qualitative study used phenomenological methods to systematically describe the subjective psychedelic experience, aiming to inform its integration into psychotherapy.
Drug Science Policy and Law
January 1, 2023
Antonio Metastasio, Silvio Mignogna, Riccardo Paci et al.
LSD, when used under therapeutic guidance, enhanced the filmmaking creativity of Federico Fellini by altering his perception of time, space, body, and self. Time in his films flows irregularly with disorienting flashbacks; colors become supernaturally brilliant and detached from objects; sounds emerge independently from visible sources; and human bodies appear deformed, grotesque, and caricatural. The boundaries between dream and reality collapse. These changes made his films so distinctive that the adjective 'felliniesque' was coined.
Rivista di psichiatria
January 1, 2026
Francesco Sepioni, Antonio Metastasio, Manuel Monti
A 25-year-old woman in a medically induced coma for 20 days after a severe traumatic brain injury reported a frightening near-death experience (NDE) with an out-of-body experience that included accurate perceptions of events while she was unconscious, later verified by medical staff. The NDE scored 28/32 on the Greyson NDE Scale. After recovery, her pre-accident suicidal ideation completely resolved. This case challenges conventional models of consciousness and highlights the transformative potential of distressing NDEs.