Schizophrenia Bulletin
August 5, 2020
Pantelis Leptourgos, Martin Fortier-Davy, Robin Carhart‐Harris et al.
88 citations
A multidisciplinary working group reviewed evidence on the similarities and differences between hallucinations induced by psychedelics and those occurring in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, examining data from pharmacology, brain imaging, phenomenology, and anthropology. The authors highlight both shared features and distinct characteristics across these scales, and attempt to integrate findings using computational approaches. They conclude with recommendations for future research, emphasizing the need for further study to clarify the relationship between these types of hallucinations.
September 15, 2021
Hugh McGovern, Pantelis Leptourgos, Brendan Hutchinson et al.
4 citations
preprint
Renewed interest in psychedelics has sparked debate about whether and how they alter human beliefs. In clinical and social-cognitive contexts, psychedelic use may lead to profound and sometimes lasting belief changes. Rather than creating entirely new beliefs, psychedelics may instead shift how affect and others' suggestions influence the way beliefs are formed. Baseline beliefs, such as expectations about psychedelics' effects, might color both acute experiences and longer-term changes. To harness psychedelics' potential for clinical use and human flourishing, these possibilities require empirical investigation.
Schizophrenia Bulletin
April 17, 2025
Nathan H. Heller, Frederick S. Barrett, Tobias Buchborn et al.
3 citations
Visual hallucinations in Lewy body diseases (Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) and those induced by serotonergic psychedelics (psilocybin, mescaline) share overlapping phenomenology and neural mechanisms, despite different underlying causes. Both conditions produce visual aberrations from minor distortions to complex hallucinations, including illusory motion and entity encounters. Neuroimaging shows a common pattern of overactive associative cortex and underactive sensory cortex. Serotonin 2A receptor modulation is involved in both: psychedelics act through 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A receptors, while in Lewy body diseases, 5-HT2A receptor upregulation correlates with increased hallucinations, and blocking it with pimavanserin reduces them. Shared cortical signatures include reduced visual evoked responses and shifts toward visual excitation.