Psychopharmacology
April 1, 2004
E. Frecska, K. D. White, L. E. Luna
31 citations
Binocular rivalry occurs when each eye is shown a different image, and the brain alternates which one is consciously perceived. A variant called dichoptic stimulus alternation (DSA) rapidly swaps the images between eyes, typically disrupting rivalry. This study tested whether the psychedelic brew ayahuasca alters this effect. Ten volunteers performed binocular rivalry tests at DSA rates of 0, 3.75, 7.5, 15, and 30 Hz before and after drinking ayahuasca. After ingestion, mean dominance periods—the time one image is perceived—increased under standard conditions and at all DSA rates. At the highest rates (15 and 30 Hz), dominance periods were longer on ayahuasca, suggesting the brew helps maintain rivalry where it would normally break down, possibly due to slowed visual processing and altered gamma oscillations.
Transplantation Proceedings
May 1, 2019
B. Nemes, K. Peto, N. Németh et al.
21 citations
In a rat model of kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury, the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) given before ischemia improved recovery of microcirculation and reduced tissue damage. Microcirculation dropped in all groups, but the DMT-treated group recovered better after 30 minutes of reperfusion and had similar blood flow to the control group after 120 minutes, while the untreated ischemia group had higher flow. Tubular necrosis occurred in both ischemia groups but was moderate with DMT and severe without. Histologic injuries were less in the DMT group. The findings suggest DMT may protect kidneys during transplantation.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
July 20, 2017
Csaba Szummer, Lajos Horváth, A. Szabó et al.
16 citations
Psychedelic experiences can be understood as a form of fantasy activity, offering a favorable situation for phenomenological research. Applying Merleau-Ponty's later conceptual framework from The Visible and the Invisible, along with his mescaline analyses from The Phenomenology of Perception, psychedelic visions and emotional states are discussed within the Merleau-Pontian framework of the 'wild world.' From a phenomenological viewpoint, psychedelic visions represent an ongoing sense-making and Gestalt-formation process in which the subject's elaborative activity plays a crucial role.
European psychiatry
June 1, 2022
E. Frecska, A. Kazai, P. Bokor et al.
After a long pause since the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, research on psychedelic compounds for therapy has revived. Two traditional psychological approaches have emerged: psycholytic therapy, using low to moderate doses with psychoanalytic talk therapy to release emotional content, and psychedelic therapy, using high doses for an overwhelming experience followed by integration sessions. It remains unclear which is better, and they are often mixed as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. To provide anchor points and warn of limitations, the authors draw on anthropological observations of cultures with long-standing psychedelic use, where administration occurs in a tight community with shared cosmology (set) and ritual context (setting)—conditions difficult to replicate in Western traditions.