Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 18, 2023
Karina Sergi, Micah Linton, Rhianna Rich et al.
21 citations
A nature-themed video intervention called Visual Healing, designed to optimize the environment during psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, was tested in a pilot trial. Nineteen of 20 participants completed the study, and the video intervention was feasible, safe, and well-tolerated, with no video-related adverse events. During the first psilocybin session, participants viewed an average of 37.9 minutes of the 42-minute video. Peak increases in blood pressure after psilocybin were significantly smaller for those assigned to Visual Healing compared to standard procedures. Alcohol use decreased in both groups, and psychedelic effects, stress, and anxiety were similar. The intervention may reduce cardiovascular risks without interfering with treatment outcomes.
Frontiers in human neuroscience
January 1, 2024
Beatrix Krause-Sorio, Sergio Becerra, Prabha Siddarth et al.
1 citation
Watching videos of galactic nebulas while meditating on universal connectedness activates brain regions involved in object, sensory, and memory processing, including the bilateral lateral occipital and fusiform gyri, right postcentral gyrus, and hippocampus. Compared to viewing AI-generated digital art or nature videos, meditation produced increased brain activity in sensory integration and sensorimotor areas such as the left parietal operculum and bilateral postcentral and supramarginal gyri. A pilot fMRI study with nine healthy adults (mean age 29; 5 women) used a block design to compare these conditions. The findings suggest distinct neural responses for meditative contemplation versus passive viewing of art or nature, though further research is needed to clarify therapeutic applications.
Psychedelic Medicine
January 12, 2026
Kelsey T. Laird, Prabha Siddarth, Ashley Ramos et al.
In psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, the intensity of mystical experiences is linked to several psychological and environmental factors. Spirituality and spiritual intentions were strongly associated with mystical experience intensity, especially during the first dosing session. Positive mindset and positive perceptions of the treatment setting were more strongly linked to mystical experiences during the second session. Mystical experience intensity increased from the first to the second session, while the precursor factors did not change significantly across sessions. The findings suggest that both internal factors (spirituality, intentions, mindset) and external factors (the treatment environment) may predict how intense a mystical experience a person has during psychedelic therapy.