Psychedelic Medicine
October 8, 2025
Elise C. Tarbi, Skye A. Miner, Kabir Nigam et al.
1 citation
Patients with cancer and depression describe their cancer experience as deepening their awareness of mortality and prompting them to reprioritize relationships and efforts. In a trial of psilocybin-assisted group therapy, participants sought not only relief from depression but also a new perspective on existential worries and spiritual resources. After treatment, they reported lasting effects including an enhanced sense of meaning, agency, aliveness, and connectedness, describing the experience as a healing, unfolding transformation. The findings illuminate how psilocybin-assisted therapy may address existential suffering and foster personal growth in this population.
Psychedelic Medicine
October 15, 2024
Thivya Turner, P. Glue
1 citation
In people with life-threatening illness, psychedelic-assisted therapy may reduce distress, depression, and anxiety by improving attitudes toward life, death, and spirituality. A systematic review of 14 studies found that symptom improvements were linked to reduced demoralization and hopelessness, greater death acceptance, increased optimism, a stronger sense of meaningful existence, and enhanced spirituality. Mixed results appeared for other life and death attitudes. The evidence is limited and of variable quality, so findings should be interpreted cautiously.
Psychedelic Medicine
June 16, 2026
Max Wolff, Samuli Kangaslampi, Richard J. Zeifman et al.
Therapeutic alliance likely plays a meaningful role in shaping both the psychedelic experience and clinical outcomes, contrary to a recent analysis that concluded it did not. This commentary argues that the reported results actually support a meaningful role for alliance when contextualized properly, and that methodological decisions obscured relevant effects. Unexplained deviations from the study protocol also warrant scrutiny. The findings underscore the importance of accurately characterizing psychological and contextual factors in psychedelic treatment research and call for more transparent analyses of psychotherapeutic processes.
Psychedelic Medicine
May 9, 2026
Yitong Xin, Alan K. Davis, Susan Yoon et al.
People with higher psychological resilience before an ayahuasca retreat reported more intense acute challenging experiences, such as nausea or emotional distress. Resilience also moderated how those challenging experiences related to later meaning-making: among participants with higher baseline resilience, the link between acute difficulty and a subsequent search for meaning in life was stronger. The findings suggest that resilience may help individuals transform difficult psychedelic moments into psychospiritual growth, pointing to the value of incorporating resilience-building into retreat preparation and integration programs.
Psychedelic Medicine
April 23, 2026
Jill Oliver Robinson, Ruiying (aria) Xiong, Logan Neitzke-Spruill et al.
A survey of 212 US institutional review board (IRB) chairs found that many lack knowledge about psychedelic risks and benefits, with 35–51% reporting gaps. Most chairs expressed neutral attitudes toward psychedelics (35–47%) and similar confidence reviewing psychedelic and nonpsychedelic protocols (61–78%). However, 33–53% reported heightened concern about psychedelic administration research, including legal, employment, and social risks, participant safety, consent challenges, and vulnerable populations. About half (47.2%) saw heightened institutional risk. Most (82.9%) agreed with requiring extensive monitoring of psychedelic sessions, but views on other protections varied widely. The findings suggest IRBs are not broadly conservative but uncertain, with concerns mirroring unsettled issues in the field.
Psychedelic Medicine
April 9, 2026
Alex C. Kwan
Classical psychedelics like LSD were studied soon after the midbrain raphe was identified as the brain's main source of serotonin. Early work in 1968 showed that LSD suppresses the firing of serotonergic neurons in the rat midbrain raphe. For over 15 years, researchers intensively examined the pharmacology and receptor mechanisms involved. Initial hypotheses incorrectly proposed that these serotonergic neurons directly caused hallucinogenic effects, but the framework shifted as neural activity was linked to behavior. This review traces that arc of discovery and revisits the early findings in light of current knowledge about serotonergic circuits, showing how pioneering studies laid the foundation for understanding psychedelics' neural actions.
Psychedelic Medicine
March 28, 2026
Levi Neal, Hannah E. Shaw, Brenda M. Gannon et al.
A single dose of the psychedelics LSD or DOI did not reduce opioid consumption or withdrawal signs in mice that had become dependent on fentanyl analogs. Mice drinking water avoided the bitter taste of quinine, but mice consuming fentanyl solutions continued drinking despite the adulteration, a behavior unchanged by psychedelic treatment. Fifteen days later, neither LSD nor DOI altered naloxone-precipitated jumping or restlessness, but both drugs lessened withdrawal-associated heightened sensitivity to heat. These results do not support a single psychedelic exposure as a treatment for opioid use disorder, though they suggest possible persistent effects on pain perception during withdrawal.
Psychedelic Medicine
January 12, 2026
Kelsey T. Laird, Prabha Siddarth, Ashley Ramos et al.
In psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, the intensity of mystical experiences is linked to several psychological and environmental factors. Spirituality and spiritual intentions were strongly associated with mystical experience intensity, especially during the first dosing session. Positive mindset and positive perceptions of the treatment setting were more strongly linked to mystical experiences during the second session. Mystical experience intensity increased from the first to the second session, while the precursor factors did not change significantly across sessions. The findings suggest that both internal factors (spirituality, intentions, mindset) and external factors (the treatment environment) may predict how intense a mystical experience a person has during psychedelic therapy.
Psychedelic Medicine
January 7, 2026
Dawn Lundin
Clinical research sponsors and investigators, including those in psychedelic drug development, must design quality into studies from the start, following ICH E8 R1 and ICH E6 R3 guidelines. Identifying what is critical to quality during protocol development helps assess risks to participants and data integrity. Sponsors need systems to manage quality throughout trials, with oversight matching the risks. Quality systems should ensure compliance, adapt to shifting priorities, and grow with the company. Small start-ups face the same requirements as for any other drug or device. Despite challenges from controlled substance scheduling and psychotherapy components, adherence to regulations through a robust quality management system is required for participant safety and data reliability.
Psychedelic Medicine
December 30, 2025
Brian S. Barnett, Akhil Anand, Tatiana Falcone et al.
Between 2015 and 2019, past-year LSD use rose 43% among heterosexual individuals, 58% among bisexual individuals, and 106% among lesbian/gay individuals in the United States. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people were 3.3 to 4.4 times more likely to report past-year LSD use than heterosexual people, depending on the year. Living in poverty, being divorced versus married, living in a small metropolitan area versus a non-metropolitan area, and a past-year suicide attempt were unique correlates of LSD use for heterosexual individuals compared with LGB individuals. The findings suggest a need for targeted harm reduction strategies based on sexual identity.
Psychedelic Medicine
December 19, 2025
Amanda Husein, Madalynn Traylor, M. Frances Vest et al.
Most Louisiana psychiatrists surveyed are open to psilocybin's medical use if backed by regulation. 82% reported some knowledge of psilocybin; 86% believed it should be researched for medicinal value; 71% would prescribe it if proven beneficial for a patient's illness. 57% thought it should be a first-line treatment for certain conditions, while 73% believed it should be used only after other treatments failed. The 10.5% response rate limits generalizability. The findings suggest a need for educational programs on psychedelics to inform clinical decisions.
Psychedelic Medicine
December 16, 2025
Sophie Woodruff, Meghan Hibicke, Charles D. Nichols
Psilocybin produced sustained antidepressant-like effects in male Wistar Kyoto rats for up to 9 weeks, as measured by the forced swim test. However, when lorazepam was administered 30 minutes before psilocybin, those antidepressant-like effects were completely prevented, and the rats performed similarly to controls given only saline. At 12 weeks post-treatment, lorazepam was associated with decreased Gria3 gene expression, and psilocybin with increased Gria4 expression in the prelimbic cortex, but the role of these gene changes in antidepressant effects remains unclear. The findings suggest that benzodiazepines may reduce the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin-assisted therapy.
Psychedelic Medicine
December 1, 2025
Tara Brach
The text describes a study that examines how psilocybin affects clergy members from various world religions, suggesting that this research broadens understanding of the potential evolution of the current psychedelic movement. It implies that spiritual experiences induced by psilocybin may have significant implications for religious leaders and the future of psychedelic-assisted practices.
Psychedelic Medicine
October 8, 2025
Pim B. van der Meer, Nout Schukking, Miranda G. Dik et al.
A systematic review of clinical trials found limited evidence that psychoactive tryptamines other than psilocybin and ibogaine are effective for treating substance use disorders. Four trials involving 176 patients with alcohol use disorder tested dipropyltryptamine and diethyltryptamine. Abstinence rates ranged from 10% to 38% at 26 weeks of follow-up, and severity of alcohol use did not differ between the tryptamine and control groups. Adverse effects were poorly reported. The review concludes that studies are scarce and show limited evidence for effectiveness in treating addictive disorders.
Psychedelic Medicine
April 28, 2025
Shakila Meshkat, Howell Fang, Rachel Sousa-Ho et al.
Low-dose psilocybin, given as 1–3 mg or 0.1–0.2 g of dried mushrooms, shows limited and inconsistent evidence for treating mental disorders. In two randomized controlled trials for treatment-resistant depression, 18% of participants receiving 1 mg showed a significant response, 8% achieved remission, and depression scores improved by −5.4 points at week 3, but only 10% maintained improvement by week 12. Another trial reported no significant improvement with 1–3 mg, though 12% achieved anxiety remission and 16% depression remission. A trial comparing 25 mg to 1 mg plus escitalopram found higher response rates with the higher dose. The evidence is constrained by few well-designed studies comparing low-dose psilocybin to placebo.
Psychedelic Medicine
April 14, 2025
Caroline Hayes
The therapeutic potential of psychedelics is increasingly recognized, and 5-MeO-DMT is being considered for its antidepressant properties due to unusual features that may offer cost and practicality advantages for healthcare providers. However, these same features could limit its success as a mainstream depression treatment. There is very little existing research on 5-MeO-DMT, and it is rarely used even within the psychedelics community, which may exacerbate difficulties in recruiting diverse subjects for clinical trials. The article discusses hypothetical pros and cons of 5-MeO-DMT as an antidepressant and recommends measures for future clinical trials.
Psychedelic Medicine
May 3, 2024
correction
This is a correction notice for a previously published article. It provides no new findings, arguments, or data.
Psychedelic Medicine
December 15, 2025
M. Mehmood, Rebecka Bremler, M. Spriggs et al.
People who experienced more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) showed greater improvements in mental well-being, reductions in experiential avoidance, and lower trait anxiety after participating in psychedelic ceremonies compared to those with fewer ACEs. Higher ACE scores were also linked to stronger emotional breakthrough and mystical experiences during the psychedelic session. Among individuals with four or more ACEs, those who reported stronger mystical or emotional breakthrough experiences had better well-being at two and four weeks afterward, and mystical experiences were linked to less experiential avoidance while emotional breakthrough was linked to less anxiety at four weeks. However, the acute experiences did not significantly change how ACEs affected mental health outcomes overall.