Nature communications
May 5, 2026
T Lyons, M Spriggs, L Kerkelä et al.
19 citations
A single high dose of psilocybin (25 mg) in 28 healthy, psychedelic-naive participants produced anatomical and functional brain changes lasting from one hour to one month. At one month, participants showed increased cognitive flexibility, psychological insight, and well-being. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed decreased axial diffusivity in prefrontal-subcortical tracts, correlating with reduced brain network modularity. Decreased modularity negatively correlated with increased well-being, consistent with depression findings. Increased cortical signal entropy one to two hours after dosing predicted improved well-being at one month, mediated by next-day psychological insight. No effects occurred with a 1 mg placebo dose.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
February 20, 2025
B A Pagni, A Halman, J Sarris et al.
7 citations
In adults with no prior exposure to ayahuasca who participated in neo-shamanic ceremonies, improvements in depression, anxiety, stress, negative affect, negative emotionality, acceptance of external influence, and self-alienation were observed at all time points up to 12 months. Mental health, self-efficacy, and spirituality improved for up to a year. Individuals diagnosed with depressive or anxiety disorders maintained significant symptom reductions, while those without a diagnosis experienced only short-term benefits. Decreases in alcohol and cannabis use were limited to one month after the ceremony. The findings suggest ayahuasca use is associated with lasting mental health improvements, especially for those with clinical diagnoses, with varying trajectories of change across different psychological constructs.