Psychedelics, Spirituality, and Fundamentalism: A Brain Network Approach to Cognitive Flexibility and Rigidity
ACS Chemical Neuroscience July 24, 2025 Anjian Yang, Xinyou Lv, Hongshuang Wang et al. 1 citation
This viewpoint proposes that mysticism and fundamentalism can be understood as brain network disorders, where rigid neural patterns underlie inflexible belief systems. Psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT may disrupt these patterns, potentially increasing cognitive flexibility and challenging dogmatic thinking. The authors suggest this modulation could have therapeutic applications for extremism and certain mental health conditions, though the argument remains theoretical and not empirically tested.