Classic psychedelics produce a wide range of subjective effects influenced by the user's mindset and environment, and their common mechanism involves activation of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. The diversity of effects across different compounds may also stem from their binding affinities for multiple neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. By analyzing two binding affinity datasets alongside natural language processing of thousands of trip reports from Erowid's Experience Vaults, preliminary evidence showed that similarity in binding profiles across phenethylamines and tryptamines correlates with similarity in the language used to describe experiences.
An interdisciplinary group of experts argues that progress in understanding and treating neuro-psychiatric disorders requires an integrative, multi-perspective approach that acknowledges differences between system levels, their complex interactions, and domain-specific languages. They review the past decade and find that many research programs remain reductionist and fail to critically examine neurobiological explanations and interdisciplinary interfaces. They call for establishing an interdisciplinary neurophilosophy that develops a critical philosophical stance within neuroscience, applying complex systems science to integrate knowledge. An ecological perspective is needed, viewing the brain as a regulative organ in a situated organism extended to tools, technologies, and social structures. The debate about free will illustrates that respecting complexity and irreducibility of mental phenomena avoids inappropriate reductionist and deterministic assumptions.