Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 1, 2013
Joanna Moncrieff, David Cohen, Sally Porter
59 citations
Psychiatric medications produce psychoactive effects similar to recreational substances, a fact often obscured by the assumption that these drugs have disease-specific actions. These psychoactive effects can directly modify disturbing symptoms, but they also carry costs to mental well-being and raise dependence risks, requiring support for withdrawal. The reality that psychoactive effects can alter symptoms independently undermines the idea that psychiatric drugs work by targeting underlying disease processes and affects placebo-controlled trial results. This also challenges the validity of modern diagnostic systems. Extensive research is needed on acute and long-term mental, behavioral, and physical effects during and after consumption and withdrawal to enable informed use.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 1989
Walter Andritzky
59 citations
Ayahuasca healing rituals among Amazonian groups serve both social and psychotherapeutic functions by providing the entire community access to transcendental experiences that have integrative and cohesive effects. The article examines the preparation and application of ayahuasca, symbolic adaptations to social change, the role of singing, the perceptive mode during the visionary state, and the structure of visions. Healing effectiveness is explained through Western scientific and sociopsychotherapeutic perspectives. Ethnopsychology offers insights into archaic healing rituals and can illustrate transcendental experiences and pathological drug use in modern societies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2005
Jordi Riba, Manel J. Barbanoj
58 citations
Since 1999, a research team at the Autonomous University of Barcelona has conducted clinical studies administering ayahuasca to healthy volunteers. The work addresses two needs: systematically establishing the safety and pharmacological profile of ayahuasca, a complex brew of active compounds, given growing interest in traditional indigenous practices; and advancing understanding of how psychedelics modify higher-order cognitive processes, which remains incomplete despite known molecular and electrophysiological effects. The article reviews methodological aspects, basic clinical findings, current laboratory research, and outlines two planned studies to further knowledge of ayahuasca's pharmacology.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 15, 2020
Tracey Varker, Loretta Watson, Kari Gibson et al.
57 citations
A systematic review of nine trials found that the evidence for MDMA combined with psychotherapy as a treatment for PTSD is of moderate quality, while the evidence for ketamine—whether used alone for comorbid PTSD and depression or combined with psychotherapy—is very low to low. The review searched four databases for peer-reviewed literature up to October 2019 and included five ketamine and four MDMA trials. No trials of LSD or psilocybin met the inclusion criteria. The authors used a quality checklist and GRADE to rank the evidence, concluding that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows the strongest support among the psychedelics examined for reducing PTSD symptoms.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 3, 2016
Torsten Passie, Udo Benzenhöfer
56 citations
MDMA, also known as ecstasy, was first synthesized in 1912 and later resynthesized for pharmaceutical reasons before becoming a popular recreational drug. Drawing on previously overlooked U.S. government documents, this article traces MDMA's early recreational history in the U.S. from 1960 to 1979. MDMA appeared as a street drug in the late 1960s, with the first forensic detection in 1970 in Chicago. Underground chemists likely synthesized it as a legal alternative to MDA, which was scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Until 1974, nearly all seized MDMA street samples came from the U.S. Midwest, the first hot region of use. In Canada, MDMA was first detected in 1974 and scheduled in 1976.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2002
56 citations
Most Ecstasy users report positive effects, but nearly all experience at least one adverse psychological outcome. Negative experiences rarely deterred the 98 current or former users interviewed from using the drug again. Those negative outcomes almost always involved an interaction between two or more factors, nearly always including set or setting. Users' expectations of the drug's effects were related to the brand or label of Ecstasy consumed, even though the same brand can contain varying amounts of MDMA and other adulterants. The role of individual disposition in producing negative experiences remains unclear and may interact with user set or friends' set.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 1, 1985
Albert A. Kurland
56 citations
A review of the clinical literature from the 1950s through early 1980s suggests that LSD-assisted psychotherapy, when used alongside supportive care, can help terminally ill cancer patients manage anxiety, depression, and existential distress. Reports indicate that a single high-dose LSD session, combined with psychological preparation and follow-up, often leads to reduced pain perception, improved mood, and a diminished fear of death lasting weeks to months. The authors note that the therapy appeared to facilitate a sense of meaning and acceptance in patients facing death. However, the evidence is limited to uncontrolled case series and retrospective reports, with no controlled trials available from that period.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 4, 2020
Cecile Giovannetti, Sara García Arce, Brian Rush et al.
55 citations
Integrating ayahuasca and traditional Amazonian medicine with psychotherapy in an inpatient addiction treatment program for men significantly reduced anxiety and depression. Patients' Beck Anxiety Inventory scores dropped from 20.8 to 11.6, and Beck Depression Inventory scores fell from 30.9 to 13.7. Improvements in quality of life, spirituality, and treatment satisfaction correlated with these reductions. The results support the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca and Amazonian medicine in mental health treatments.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 20, 2014
James A. Wilcox
55 citations
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious psychiatric condition that often does not respond to standard treatments. Serotonin is thought to be involved in reducing OCD symptoms. A case is presented of a person who used psilocybin, a substance that affects serotonin, to successfully reduce core OCD symptoms for several years. The authors do not endorse this form of treatment but argue that the positive outcome highlights the role of serotonin in OCD and supports the need for legitimate research into psilocybin for anxiety disorders.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2013
Robin Lester Carhart-Harris, David John Nutt
55 citations
Experienced drug users who have personally used 11 different illicit drugs rank alcohol and tobacco as the most harmful substances, while MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, and cannabis are ranked as the four least harmful. When asked about potential benefits, these same four drugs are ranked highest, and users cite therapeutic applications—such as tools to assist psychotherapy—rather than just pleasure. The findings offer insight from a rare sample of 93 users with intimate knowledge of multiple drugs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 8, 2020
Helle Kaasik, Rita C. Z. Souza, Flávia Da Silva Zandonadi et al.
54 citations
Ayahuasca brews from different traditions vary widely in their psychoactive components. Analysis of 102 samples from indigenous, religious, and neoshamanic communities showed that neoshamanic brews contain higher and more variable concentrations of DMT, likely from using larger or more variable amounts of DMT-containing plants. European samples included two instances of analog ayahuasca containing moclobemide, psilocin, DMT, and yuremamine, with very low levels of Banisteriopsis caapi alkaloids, and some used Peganum harmala and Mimosa tenuiflora. No analogs appeared in Brazilian or Santo Daime samples. The findings highlight the need for awareness and ethical self-regulation among practitioners.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 1, 2011
Anette Kjellgren, Christophe Soussan
52 citations
Recreational use of the psychedelic Internet drug 4-HO-MET is characterized by drastic shifts in cognition, emotion, and bodily perception, driven primarily by curiosity. Analyzing 25 anonymous Swedish experience reports from public forums, nine themes emerged: motivation, initial effects, altered perception, unfiltered awareness, lateral cognition, blurred subject-object boundaries, heaven-like and hell-like experiences, and subsiding effects. Users described a chronological process and reported satisfaction despite intense positive and negative experiences. The effects closely resemble those of classic psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin. The authors call for further research into potential health hazards and therapeutic uses.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 15, 2015
Rafael Lanaro, Débora Bressanim de Aquino Calemi, Loraine Rezende Togni et al.
51 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional beverage, contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which produces visionary effects. Analysis of nine ayahuasca aqueous extracts and three seized powder samples using HPLC-DAD revealed DMT concentrations of 402–2070.3 μg/mL, harmaline 27.5–181.3 μg/mL, harmine 294.5–2893.8 μg/mL, and tetrahydroharmine 849.5–2052.5 μg/mL in the extracts. One powder sample contained only DMT (82% and 2% w/w), another only harmaline (16% w/w) and harmine (12% w/w). Ritual oral ayahuasca use reduces overdose risk via vagal stimulation causing vomiting, whereas recreational smoking or inhalation of DMT increases bioavailability and intoxication potential.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 1, 2006
Karl Jansen, Lynn Theron
49 citations
The traditional 'date rape drug' label applies to sedatives like GHB and Rohypnol that cause unconsciousness and amnesia. However, some law enforcement and prosecutors have extended the term to MDMA and methamphetamine, arguing that their empathy-generating, disinhibiting, or sensual effects can remove a person's ability to give reasoned consent, making them appear cooperative in sexual activity they would not have consented to without the drug. This interpretation is supported by toxicological data showing these drugs in sexual assault victims, leading to reliance on expert testimony from toxicologists and police rather than psychologists. Psychologists and psychiatrists often dismiss MDMA as an aphrodisiac or date rape drug as media myths. The article examines the strengths and weaknesses of these competing arguments.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2004
49 citations
Most active Ecstasy users do not associate the drug with risks of neurotoxicity or psychological problems, beyond the danger of obtaining a deadly substitute. Based on audiotaped focus groups and individual interviews with 30 users in Ohio, users instead seek harm-reduction strategies for safe use and largely ignore prevention messages like "just say no." Because Ecstasy is often used in small friend groups, interventions involving peer leaders or social networks may be effective.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 28, 2022
Andrew Hodge, Suporn Sukpraprut‐braaten, Matthew R Narlesky et al.
47 citations
Psilocybin, a psychoactive compound naturally derived from certain fungi, is showing clinical efficacy in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms over time compared to control in multiple clinical trials. It has also been shown to reduce cigarettes per day and drinks per day in patients with substance use disorders. No significant adverse clinical events or verifiable recorded deaths have been reported from psilocybin use. Larger studies are needed before the drug can potentially become approved for use in the general population.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 30, 2019
Maha N. Mian, Brianna R. Altman, Mitch Earleywine
47 citations
Ayahuasca, a plant-based hallucinogen used as a spiritual medicine in South America, has shown antidepressant effects in at least one placebo-controlled trial, but the mechanisms remain unclear. A survey of 152 individuals examined changes in depressive symptoms, behavioral activation, and mindfulness after an Ayahuasca experience. Mindfulness was strongly linked to reduced depression severity, but behavioral activation—engaging in rewarding activities—was a stronger predictor of improvement. Changes in behavioral activation likely serve as a mechanism underlying Ayahuasca's antidepressant effects, suggesting future clinical trials could benefit from tracking behavioral activation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 1, 2013
Rafael Guimarães Dos Santos
47 citations
Ayahuasca, a botanical hallucinogenic preparation traditionally used by Northwestern Amazonian indigenous groups, is generally well tolerated in both acute and long-term ritual contexts. However, some scientific and media reports link ayahuasca or its alkaloids to severe intoxications. A critical evaluation of these reports reveals that many lack accurate forensic or toxicological information or are not directly relevant to traditional ayahuasca preparations, limiting accurate risk assessment. Despite these limitations, the cases suggest that pre-existing cardiac and hepatic conditions and concurrent use of serotonergic drugs or medications are contraindications for ayahuasca use, and that caution is warranted when using different botanical species or extracted or synthetic alkaloids to prepare ayahuasca analogues.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2005
David E. Stuckey, Robert F. Lawson, Luís Eduardo Luna
43 citations
In two experienced ayahuasca users studied in a Brazilian jungle, EEG recordings showed increased global brain coherence in the 36-44 Hz and 50-64 Hz frequency bands during visual imagery compared to eyes-closed baselines. This widespread cortical hyper-coherence may relate to the intense synesthesia typical of ayahuasca experiences. Other findings included increased modal EEG alpha frequency and global power decreases across most frequency bands, consistent with prior psychedelic EEG literature. The exploratory case series suggests that analyzing single Hz bins rather than standard wide bands can be useful. The authors propose that increased global gamma coherence during peak psychedelic experiences may inform binding theory and invites comparison with advanced meditative states.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
December 1, 2009
41 citations
Chronic cannabis users generated more rare-creative responses on a test of creativity than non-drug users, a difference that remained after adjusting for gender. Ecstasy users did not differ from controls on behavioral creativity measures but tended to rate their own answers as more creative, though this trend was borderline. There were no group differences in remote-creative ideas or overall fluency. The study compared 15 abstinent cannabis users, 15 abstinent Ecstasy users, and 15 non-drug-user controls on three creativity measures.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 10, 2022
Nicolas G. Glynos, Jennifer Pierce, Alan K. Davis et al.
39 citations
In a survey of 354 North American adults with fibromyalgia, nearly 30% reported having used a psychedelic, most commonly LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. Most users rated their experience as neutral (59.4%) or positive (36.8%), and fewer than 3% reported negative effects on health or pain. Among the 12 participants who used a psychedelic specifically to treat chronic pain, 11 said their symptoms improved. Regardless of past use, most respondents believed psychedelics could help treat chronic pain and would join a clinical trial for such a treatment. The findings support further research into psychedelic-based therapies for fibromyalgia.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 1994
Thomas J. Riedlinger, June Riedlinger
39 citations
A deficiency of serotonin in the central nervous system may underlie some forms of depression. Existing antidepressant treatments include serotonergic drugs, and psychedelic substances also affect serotonin systems, suggesting they could play a role in depression therapy. Past attempts using both indoleamine and phenylalkylamine psychedelics have shown encouraging results, warranting further research, especially on phenylisopropylamine compounds that are only peripherally psychedelic. These entactogens or empathogens cause less distortion of normal consciousness than classic psychedelics like LSD or mescaline, making them easier to integrate into psychotherapy. Their value would be at the start of therapy to reduce fear responses, improve communication, and accelerate the therapeutic alliance.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 3, 2021
Bhanu Sharma, David W. Lawrence, Roland R. Griffiths et al.
37 citations
An analysis of the top-cited classic psychedelic publications found that recent highly cited work (published after 2010) focuses more on clinical trials and therapeutic applications, especially for affective and substance use disorders, while older highly cited work was dominated by basic science and preclinical studies. Psilocybin was the primary substance in recent top-cited articles, whereas LSD was more common in older ones. The recent cohort also had a much higher annual citation rate. The field is moving from foundational pharmacological understanding toward identifying clinical uses.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 1989
37 citations
Shamanism and altered states of consciousness (ASC) are reviewed across cultures and disciplines. Despite varied uses of these terms, conceptual and empirical grounds exist to distinguish different types of trance practitioners. Shamanism is argued to be a cultural adaptation of hunting and gathering societies to the biological potential for ASC, with its manifestations changing as societies become more complex. The role of ASC in shamanic phenomena, religious experience, and modern trance is examined. Western cultural avoidance of ASC has inhibited understanding and prevented integration of shamanistic and trance perspectives into psychology, consciousness, and knowledge of the world.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 1, 1986
Charles L. Renfroe
37 citations
A 1986 article describes the results of an anonymous drug analysis service that tested samples sold as MDMA on the street. The analysis found that many samples contained substances other than MDMA, including other psychoactive drugs or adulterants, and that the purity and composition varied widely. The text reports the range of actual MDMA content and the presence of substitutes or contaminants in the tested samples, highlighting the risks of unregulated street drugs.