medRxiv
November 1, 2024
Dila Suay, Helena D. Aicher, Micheal Kometer et al.
1 citation
preprint
A psychedelic formulation combining DMT and harmine, inspired by ayahuasca, blurs the brain's distinction between self and other faces. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with 31 healthy men, the DMT/harmine combination increased early visual brain responses (P1 amplitude) and disrupted the structural encoding of faces (reduced N170 amplitude) for all face types. It also specifically reduced the brain's later response (P300) to one's own face, making the neural reaction to self-faces more similar to that for familiar or unknown faces. Harmine alone did not produce these effects. The findings suggest psychedelics may reduce attentional focus on self-referential information, potentially explaining feelings of unity and enhanced empathy.
Psychedelics
June 28, 2026
Joost J. Breeksema, Ulf Bremberg, Jens H. van Dalfsen et al.
Psychedelic therapies face layered complexity from interactions between pharmacological and extra-pharmacological factors, and their embeddedness in societal, legal, and regulatory systems. This is compounded by epistemic fragmentation: dominant biomedical paradigms often clash with knowledge from social sciences, humanities, or Indigenous traditions. Though interdisciplinary engagement is increasingly recognized as necessary, existing calls rarely specify structural or pedagogical conditions for operationalizing it. Addressing these complexities requires moving beyond superficial collaboration; genuine interdisciplinary progress needs researchers capable of productive friction across epistemic cultures. The authors propose cultivating T-shaped competencies and intersectoral training as a structural response to these systemic challenges.
Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)
January 1, 2026
Klemens Egger, Robert Bozsak, Helena D. Aicher et al.
A psychedelic dose of DMT combined with harmine, mimicking ayahuasca, globally increased cerebral glucose metabolism by 12.5% in 14 healthy males, as measured by PET scans during peak drug effects. This increase was widespread across the cortex, particularly in higher-order brain networks, and positively correlated with harmine plasma levels but not with DMT levels or subjective intensity. The finding recapitulates a classic effect seen with psilocybin, suggesting a potential metabolic signature of the psychedelic state.
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
December 10, 2025
Johannes Jungwirth, Samuel Westenhöfer, Helena D. Aicher et al.
In a retrospective analysis of medical records from 19 patients with treatment-resistant depression treated with psilocybin (20–35 mg) in one to four dosing sessions at a Swiss psychiatric hospital, depression severity decreased significantly. Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores dropped from an average of 30.78 before treatment to 19.89 afterward, a large effect, and Beck Depression Inventory II scores fell from 32.33 to 23.28. Response and remission rates were 33.3% and 22.2% by the MADRS, and 27.8% and 27.8% by the BDI. No serious adverse events occurred. Response and remission rates were lower than those in previous controlled trials, and no additive effect of multiple dosing was found.