Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
September 25, 2015
Philip Kamilar-Britt, G. Bedi
165 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) produces prosocial effects such as sociability and empathy, consistent with user reports. In rodents, MDMA increases passive prosocial behavior and social reward while reducing aggression, possibly through serotonin 1A receptor-mediated oxytocin release interacting with vasopressin receptor 1A. In humans, MDMA raises plasma oxytocin, fosters feelings of social affiliation, reduces recognition of negative facial expressions (cognitive empathy), blunts responses to social rejection, and enhances responses to others' positive emotions (emotional empathy) while increasing social approach. These neurobiologically complex prosocial effects likely motivate recreational ecstasy use.
Psychedelic Medicine
August 18, 2023
Philip Kamilar-Britt, Elana B. Gordis, Mitch Earleywine
15 citations
The therapeutic alliance—the cooperative connection between clients and providers—is a strong predictor of outcomes across many forms of psychotherapy, but its role in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has been largely overlooked. Only two publications directly address the alliance in PAT, despite years of recommendations emphasizing it. Adding alliance measures to PAT trials is low-cost and feasible, and clinicians can improve the alliance through simple behaviors like respecting patient autonomy, listening, and addressing practical concerns. Greater focus on the alliance could clarify how PAT works and boost its effectiveness, potentially reducing human suffering more efficiently.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2026
Philip Kamilar-Britt, Alyssa B. Oliva, Mitch Earleywine
Familiarity with treatment options predicts how credible nicotine users find both standard cessation methods and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. In a survey of 534 daily nicotine users, those more familiar with a treatment rated it as more credible. Credibility, in turn, predicted interest in trying that treatment. Younger age, lower education, and prior psychedelic use were associated with greater interest in psilocybin-assisted therapy. Tailoring educational materials to increase familiarity may improve treatment engagement and outcomes.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
January 16, 2023
Mitch Earleywine, Philip Kamilar-Britt
Trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy that emphasize statistical significance will likely include failures to replicate, especially if sample sizes do not increase dramatically. The field and the public should expect some failed replication attempts based on sampling variability alone. Continued emphasis on statistical significance will require markedly larger samples than those used in clinical trials to date, necessitating substantially greater resources. An alternative approach focused on prediction intervals has distinct advantages, and based on prediction intervals, reasonable replications are well within reach. A lack of attention to these statistical issues could unnecessarily prompt widespread dismissal of these therapies before adequate investigation.