Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic, significantly improved mood in 70% of participants during a controlled trial. In this study involving 150 individuals, those receiving psilocybin exhibited notable changes in serotonin levels and prolactin, a hormone linked to emotional regulation. Compared to the placebo group, participants reported enhanced well-being and reduced anxiety. The influence of psychedelics on neurotransmitter receptors highlights their potential as innovative treatments in internal medicine and psychology. These findings suggest promising avenues for future drug studies in mental health care.
Psilocybin impairs the ability to reproduce time intervals longer than 2.5 seconds, to synchronize movements to beats longer than 2 seconds, and slows preferred tapping rate. These objective timing deficits are accompanied by working-memory impairments and subjective changes including depersonalization and derealization. The findings indicate the serotonin system is selectively involved in processing durations longer than 2–3 seconds and in voluntary movement speed control. The disruption of longer intervals likely results from interactions with cognitive dimensions of temporal processing via 5-HT2A receptor stimulation.