Psychopharmacology (Berl)
November 8, 2017
R. L. Carhart-Harris, M. Bolstridge, C. M. J. Day et al.
978 citations
In an open-label trial, twenty patients with severe, treatment-resistant major depression received two oral doses of psilocybin (10 mg and 25 mg, one week apart) in a supportive setting. Depressive symptoms dropped markedly within the first five weeks, with large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 2.2 at week 1 and 2.3 at week 5). Nine patients responded and four achieved remission at week 5. Improvements remained significant at three and six months (Cohen's d = 1.5 and 1.4). No one sought conventional antidepressants within five weeks. The quality of the acute psychedelic experience predicted symptom reductions at five weeks. Tolerability was good, and psilocybin appears promising for unresponsive depression, though double-blind trials are needed.
Brain
February 28, 2010
R. L. Carhart-Harris, K. J. Friston
580 citations
Freudian constructs may have neurobiological substrates. Descriptions of primary and secondary processes align with self-organized activity in hierarchical cortical systems, and descriptions of the ego align with functions of the default-mode network and its exchanges with subordinate brain systems. This account views the brain as a hierarchical inference machine that minimizes free-energy, a process formally similar to Freudian energy treatments. The synthesis is substantiated by showing that descriptions of the primary process are consistent with the phenomenology and neurophysiology of rapid eye movement sleep, early acute psychotic states, temporal lobe epilepsy auras, and hallucinogenic drug states.
Front Pharmacol
March 25, 2021
H. Kettner, F. E. Rosas, C. Timmermann et al.
205 citations
In group psychedelic sessions, the quality of intersubjective experience—the sense of shared connection and mutual understanding among participants—predicts lasting improvements in psychological wellbeing and social connectedness. The study followed participants over time and found that those who reported stronger communal feelings during sessions showed greater enduring benefits. This suggests that the social context and relational dynamics of psychedelic experiences may be as important as the drug effects themselves for producing positive outcomes.
Journal of Substance Use
July 30, 2010
R. L. Carhart-Harris, D. J. Nutt
108 citations
Users of hallucinogenic drugs report less harm from classic hallucinogens like LSD and psilocybin compared to MDMA, cannabis, ketamine, and alcohol. Over 600 web-based survey responses indicated benefits including help with mood disorders, addictions, and migraines, along with long-term wellbeing improvements. Symptoms of hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder were most associated with LSD, though few users found them troubling. Eighty-one percent reported a spiritual experience on a hallucinogen, and over 90% considered access to the unconscious mind a specific property of classic hallucinogens. These findings cautiously support calls for systematic investigation of the therapeutic potential of classic hallucinogens.
Psychopharmacology
October 30, 2017
J. B. Stroud, T. P. Freeman, R. Leech et al.
102 citations
People with treatment-resistant depression were slower than controls at recognizing facial emotions. After two doses of psilocybin with psychological support, their speed of emotion recognition improved to a level no different from controls, and this improvement was linked to a reduction in anhedonia. The findings suggest psilocybin may help correct emotional processing biases in depression, but placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm.