Finding the self by losing the self: Neural correlates of ego-dissolution under psilocybin
Human Brain Mapping May 22, 2015 Alexander V. Lebedev, Martin Lövdén, Gidon Rosenthal et al. 347 citations
Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, produces ego-dissolution—a feeling that the self is disintegrating or that the boundary between self and world is dissolving—similar to ego-disturbances seen in schizophrenia. In a placebo-controlled study of 15 healthy volunteers, functional MRI scans showed that psilocybin-induced ego-dissolution was linked to decreased connectivity between the medial temporal lobe and high-level cortical regions, disintegration of the salience network, and reduced communication between brain hemispheres. Individuals with lower diversity of executive network nodes at baseline were more likely to experience ego-dissolution. These findings suggest that maintaining a coherent sense of self depends on normal functioning of these brain systems.