Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2023
Lucas Dwiel, Angela Henricks, Elise Bragg et al.
4 citations
Psychedelic drugs like LSD acutely reduce low-frequency electrical activity across the brain in rats, but these changes return to baseline after 24 hours. However, brain stimulation applied 24 hours after LSD—a period of heightened neuroplasticity—produces larger and distinct shifts in brain activity compared with stimulation alone. This suggests that even after the acute effects of LSD have faded, latent effects remain that can interact with brain stimulation to alter brain states. These proof-of-concept findings indicate that psychedelic drugs could work in combination with brain stimulation to achieve enhanced effects on brain activity, with future studies needed to assess impacts on behavior.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
September 1, 2024
Michelle St Pierre, Lucas Standing, Yarissa Herman et al.
3 citations
A cross-sectional survey of 791 adults who use psychedelics found that 80% used them for therapeutic purposes, but only 30% of those therapeutic users had discussed this use with their physician. Barriers included stigma, perceived lack of physician knowledge about psychedelics, and legal concerns. Patients with mood disorders or posttraumatic stress disorder, and those who used ketamine, were more likely to have such discussions. The findings indicate most therapeutic psychedelic users are hesitant to talk with their doctors about it, highlighting factors that may facilitate or hinder patient-physician communication on this topic.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2024
Dale Terasaki
3 citations
Among 12 inpatients with alcohol use disorder who received intravenous ketamine therapy, the treatment was well tolerated and highly acceptable, with a mean acceptability rating of 9.5 on a 0–10 scale. The mean dissociative symptoms score was 21.7 out of 92. Participants reported experiences that were largely positive, transporting, visual, and meaningful. The most common themes were meaningful, spiritual, or mystical experiences; positive affect; and inherent contradictions of the acute experience. The hospital setting did not appear to hinder these experiences.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2023
Noah D Gold, Samantha K Podrebarac, Lindsay A White et al.
3 citations
Over 50 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers for chronically ill loved ones, a role that can foster personal growth but also leads to caregiver distress—a mix of physiological, psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual impairments affecting 30-70% of caregivers. Existing treatments do not fully address all these components. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has shown promise in clinical trials for conditions overlapping with caregiver distress, such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and inflammation, while enhancing empathy, connectedness, and reducing existential distress. Although no studies have yet tested PAP for caregiver distress, this narrative review argues it could comprehensively treat all biopsychosocial-spiritual dimensions of the condition, outlining safety, psychedelic selection, and therapeutic structure for future research.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2025
Sara Shoar, Alissa Bazinet, Chaitra Jairaj
2 citations
A narrative mini-review highlights a gap in understanding the safety of psychedelic use during critical stages of the female reproductive cycle, including menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, and menopause. Sex differences exist in users' subjective and physiological experiences of psychedelics. Interactions between psychedelics' mechanisms and female hormones suggest potential for addressing symptoms of menstruation, sexual dysfunction, chronic pelvic pain, menopause, and postpartum depression. Traditional indigenous use of psychedelics in healing rituals is noted. Risks during gestation and breastfeeding underscore the need for caution. Comprehensive research on women is lacking; public health messaging should promote risk reduction and culturally sensitive approaches.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
December 1, 2024
Daniel Markman, Andrzej Z Wasilczuk, Joseph Michael Cichon
2 citations
Ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects in chronically stressed male mice require wakefulness. When the anesthetic isoflurane was coadministered at either sedative or general anesthetic doses, ketamine no longer produced dissociative-like behaviors or distinct neuronal activity patterns in prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons, and antidepressant-like behavioral responses and the molecular plasticity marker c-Fos failed to appear 24 hours later. These results indicate that suppressing psychedelic-induced experiences by altering consciousness may impair activity-dependent plasticity mechanisms necessary for ketamine's therapeutic actions.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
December 1, 2024
Connor Haggarty, Hanna Molla, James Glazer et al.
2 citations
A low dose of LSD (26 µg) alters the brain's electrical response to neutral and happy faces, but not angry faces. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with 39 healthy adults, LSD reduced the amplitude of the N170 brain wave to neutral faces and reduced the P300 brain wave to neutral and happy faces, while angry faces were unaffected. These results suggest that low-dose LSD specifically changes how the brain processes non-threatening social cues, which may help explain reports of improved mood.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
September 1, 2024
Banan Ramarushton, Heidemarie Blumenthal, Anthony Ryals et al.
2 citations
Rumination, a repetitive negative thinking pattern, is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, and other disorders, yet it is often resistant to conventional treatments. A mini-review of six studies found a significant association between psychedelic use and lower levels of rumination, suggesting that reducing rumination via changes in the default mode network may be a key cognitive factor in psychedelic therapy. The review recommends exploring whether identifying ruminative tendencies before a psychedelic session improves adherence to "letting go" during dosing, and notes that booster sessions may help sustain therapeutic effects, though financial costs are high. Understanding rumination's role could inform postdosing integration strategies like rumination-focused cognitive behavior therapy or mindfulness.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2024
Meghan Hibicke, Gerald Billac, Charles D Nichols
2 citations
In male Wistar-Kyoto rats, intravenous psilocin (the active form of psilocybin) produced persistent antidepressant-like effects, reducing immobility in the forced swim test at both 3 and 14 weeks after a single dose. When lorazepam was given 30 minutes before psilocin, the antidepressant-like effect was present at 3 weeks but absent by 14 weeks, and the effect at 14 weeks was weaker than in rats given psilocin alone. Lorazepam therefore reduced both the magnitude and longevity of psilocin's antidepressant-like effects in this animal model.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2026
Syed F Rab, Salman S Ahmad, Roman Palitsky et al.
1 citation
Muslims living in the United States show moderate openness to psychedelic therapies, and a weak negative correlation exists between their rejection of mental health services and their acceptance of psychedelics. Higher education is associated with more favorable attitudes toward both mental health services and psychedelic therapies. The findings highlight the need to understand educational and cultural factors shaping these views to advance equitable mental health care for this underrepresented group.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
August 1, 2025
Kush V Bhatt, Jason N Compton, Em Ellerman et al.
1 citation
Mystical experiences, which may have therapeutic value, occurred in about 17-18% of ketamine treatments among 60 veterans with treatment-resistant depression. In those receiving esketamine, more treatment sessions were linked to higher mystical experience scores; in those receiving racemic ketamine, higher doses were linked to higher scores. The findings suggest that ketamine can occasion mystical experiences in this population.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2026
Manal Muteb Alanazi, Mohammed M Alqahtani
Classical psychedelic compounds may affect respiration through serotonergic pathways, airway smooth muscle regulation, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Preclinical rodent studies using objective measures such as flexiVent and whole-body plethysmography have observed respiratory modulation in asthma models. However, human studies have not confirmed bronchodilatory effects, and evidence is limited by methodological constraints, historical prohibition, and a focus on neuropsychiatric outcomes. Interpretation is complicated by animal models, heterogeneous compounds and doses, non-standardized endpoints, and potential confounding from set, setting, and acute anxiety. Future research should standardize respiratory outcomes and combine neurophysiology with respiratory measures to explore central-peripheral connections. Whether preclinical findings translate to clinical benefits remains unclear.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2026
Brian S Barnett, Akhil Anand, Jeremy Weleff et al.
Among US adults who first used LSD at least 5 years ago, only 4.2% reported using it in the past year. Past-year use dropped sharply with time since first use, from 14.4% among those who started 5 years ago to 0.1% among those who started 46–50 years ago. Factors linked to past-year use included being male, never married, living in poverty, higher education, lifetime stimulant use, recent contact with drug sellers, having sold illegal drugs, perceiving LSD as lower risk and more available, and a past-year suicide attempt. Having children at home, living in a small metro area, and more years since first use were linked to lower odds. Perceived risk and availability showed the strongest associations.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2026
Sara N Lappan, Sean D Davis
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy effectively treats individual conditions like addiction, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, but current research overlooks relational and systemic factors. This conceptual article proposes integrating relational principles into therapy and research, emphasizing how psychedelic experiences affect interpersonal dynamics, attachment patterns, and family systems. A 10-session research protocol is outlined, including preparation, psilocybin administration, and integration sessions that involve partners or family members. Outcome measures assess relational quality, attachment security, communication, emotional intimacy, and intergenerational trauma using validated tools. The framework draws on Bowenian family systems theory, structural family therapy, emotionally focused therapy, and contextual family therapy, aiming to bridge a gap in the literature and promote long-term systemic change beyond individual symptom reduction.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2026
William E Rosa, Stephanie Napolitano, Natalie Mcandrew et al.
Meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP) is a manualized, brief intervention that enhances meaning and purpose and appears to be a natural therapeutic partner for psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) in patients with cancer and major depressive disorder. In a phase 2 open-label trial, seven patients (ages 53-80) and six therapists (with 9-44 years of experience) participated in surveys and focus groups to adapt MCP for psilocybin. Focus groups highlighted the value of psilocybin experiences, group support, and MCP both separately and together. A 5-session model called MCP-PSIL was developed. The group format was emphasized, though individual MCP may be appropriate in some cases.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2026
Jonah Griffin-Stolbach, Hanna Molla, Donald Hedeker et al.
Questionnaires designed for high-dose psychedelic experiences fail to capture the subtle subjective effects of very low doses of LSD. Using data from 199 healthy volunteers given 6.5, 13, and 26 µg doses, a new 31-item questionnaire—the micro-dimensional Altered States of Consciousness (m-DASC)—was developed. It identifies four components: Transcendent Experience, Auditory Somatic Disturbance, Animated Intoxication, and Synesthesia, accounting for 44% of the variance. The m-DASC detected significant effects at 13 and 26 µg and correlated highly with longer questionnaires, offering a more sensitive tool for future low-dose psychedelic research.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2026
Veronica Szpak, Samuel Maddams, Amanda Kim et al.
Adults with opioid use disorder who have survived injection-related infections generally support psychedelic-assisted therapy as a treatment for substance use disorders, but they also express concerns. In interviews with 17 participants, common supportive themes included that hospitalization helped them recognize the severity of their disorder, that psychedelic-assisted therapy could foster insight and openness to recovery, and that professional monitoring during sessions was reassuring. Participants also valued addressing underlying mental health issues and the role of spirituality. Concerns centered on the possibility of a "bad trip," adverse effects, relapse risk, and misuse of psychedelics. Further research is needed, especially when standard medications have failed.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
December 1, 2025
Joseph Lorenz, Scott Hawkins, Bryan Mccarthy
A commentary on Griffiths et al.'s study of psilocybin's effects on clergy argues that the study's design assumes a perennialist view of mysticism, which adds unnecessary metaphysical and theological weight. The authors also contend that using psychedelics to pursue mystical experiences risks two pathologies: hyper-individualism and idolatry. Religious traditions and communities are well-suited to counter these risks.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2025
Sierra Carter, Grace Packard, Jessica L Maples-Keller
Black Americans are underrepresented in psychedelic trials despite high mental health needs. In four focus groups with low-income, urban Black participants, three themes emerged: informed hesitation mixed with openness; trust, autonomy, and choice; and practical solutions to improve access. Participants voiced concerns about racism in healthcare, research, drug policy, and criminalization. They emphasized building trust through community investment, autonomy, and addressing barriers like childcare and transportation. The findings support centering Black Americans' needs in psychedelic-assisted therapy to improve access and care quality.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2025
Olivia M Dhaliwal, Lukas Bobak, Brian S Barnett
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) may be in high demand in rural America, where residents face greater morbidity and premature mortality due to unique social disparities. Barriers to accessing PAT in rural settings include geographic, economic, and cultural factors, as well as a shortage of healthcare providers. Without intervention, disparate access could worsen existing rural-urban inequities. The authors propose solutions such as incorporating PAT into rural health training, using teletherapy for preparation and integration sessions, and creating new care models and economic incentives to enable rural providers to deliver PAT.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2024
correction
This notice corrects an error in a previously published article. The original article had a DOI of 10.1089/psymed.2023.0046. No further details about the correction are provided.