Meditation, psychedelics, and brain connectivity: A randomized controlled resting-state fMRI study of N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmine in a meditation retreat
Universität Zürich, ZORA September 29, 2025 Egger, Klemens, Meling, Daniel, Polat, Firuze et al.
Meditation alone increased network segregation in the brain, while a combination of meditation and a DMT–harmine formulation (an ayahuasca-inspired compound) increased connectivity within the visual network and between visual and attention networks. Forty meditation practitioners participated in a 3-day retreat and were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or buccal DMT–harmine. Brain scans taken before and after showed no lasting disruption of cortical gradients, indicating brain organization returned to typical patterns shortly after the psychedelic experience. These distinct neural effects suggest meditation and psychedelic-augmented meditation engage different mechanisms, warranting further study of their combined therapeutic potential.