Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 7, 2025
Amy Lehrner, Heather Jackson, David S. Mathai et al.
11 citations
Among 679 adults using psilocybin in naturalistic settings, 68.2% reported acute feelings of shame or guilt during the experience, which were difficult to predict. The ability to constructively work through these feelings predicted wellbeing 2-4 weeks later. On average, psilocybin produced a small but significant decrease in trait shame maintained 2-3 months after use (Cohen's dz = 0.37), though trait shame increased in 29.8% of participants. The activation of self-conscious emotions with psychedelics warrants further attention as a challenging experience subcategory relevant to psychological outcomes, potentially creating a unique learning condition for shame-related memory reconsolidation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 10, 2024
Nilubon Thaoboonruang, Manupat Lohitnavy, Ornrat Lohitnavy
11 citations
Psilocybin, the main psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, acts as a prodrug that is rapidly converted in the body to its active form, psilocin. After ingestion, psilocin levels in blood and brain peak quickly and depend on the dose given. Psilocin is broken down through multiple metabolic pathways and has a short half-life of 2–3 hours. This review of 20 studies highlights that while basic pharmacokinetics are understood, important gaps remain—such as incomplete information on metabolism and limitations in study design—that future research should address to improve dosing and treatment optimization for conditions like major depressive disorder.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 10, 2023
Ashmita Grewal, Kalysha Closson, Gina Martin et al.
11 citations
People who experienced childhood adversity are more likely to suffer psychological distress. An online survey of adults who had used psilocybin in the past three months found that the link between adverse childhood experiences and current distress was weaker for those who had recently used psilocybin. Interest in and acceptance of psilocybin was high regardless of the severity of childhood adversity. The findings suggest psilocybin could be an acceptable and potentially helpful therapy for survivors of adverse childhood experiences, with the strongest benefits for those who faced the most severe adversity.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 24, 2023
Stanley Wong, An Yi Yu, Nicholas Fabiano et al.
11 citations
Interest in psychedelic therapies for mental and substance use disorders has grown, but evidence for non-psilocybin serotonergic psychedelics remains limited. A scoping review of mescaline, ibogaine, ayahuasca, DMT, and LSD identified 77 studies: 43 on LSD, 24 on ayahuasca, and 5 each on DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline. Reported benefits included improved mood, anxiety, insight, reduced substance use, better relationships, and fewer vegetative symptoms. Adverse effects were psychological, neurological, physical, and gastrointestinal; serious events like homicide and suicide appeared in LSD studies. The review concludes there is only low-level evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of these substances for mental and substance use disorders.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 11, 2022
Jeremy Weleff, Teddy J. Akiki, Brian S. Barnett
11 citations
After decades of limited research, interest in using psychedelics as psychiatric treatments has revived. A bibliometric analysis of 394 clinical studies on 5-MeO-DMT, ayahuasca, DMT, LSD, ibogaine, mescaline, MDMA, and psilocybin published from 1965 to 2021 found that publications resurged after a lull from the 1970s to the 1990s. MDMA was the most frequently studied substance (49%), followed by LSD (19%), psilocybin (18%), and ayahuasca (7%). Comparing studies from 1965-2009 with those from 2010-2021, the recent cohort had a higher proportion of studies on therapeutic applications and a lower proportion on effects in non-research settings. Psilocybin studies increased proportionally, while DMT and mescaline studies decreased. Researchers in the United Kingdom had the most diverse international collaborations.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 12, 2022
Vincent Hartong, Arnold van Emmerik
11 citations
People who microdose psychedelics, either currently or in the past, report lower trait anxiety than those who have never microdosed. This association appears to be partly explained by higher trait mindfulness, particularly the facets of non-judging and non-reactivity. However, when participants who had previously taken a full psychedelic dose were excluded from the analysis, the link between microdosing and lower anxiety disappeared. The findings indicate that previous macrodose experience may account for the observed differences, and randomized controlled trials are needed to test whether microdosing itself reduces anxiety.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 22, 2022
Lindsay Shaw, Kerri Rea, Nathan J. Lachowsky et al.
11 citations
Young adults in Victoria, Canada who had used magic mushrooms within the past three months described lasting impacts including transformation and learning. They used strategies such as researching magic mushrooms and relying on peer support to optimize their experiences. Aspects previously considered harmful were instead associated with learning and few harms. The perceived positive outcomes and low risk profile suggest the need for further research to help users maximize benefits and minimize harms.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2008
Jan G. Bruhn, Hesham R. Ei-Seedi, Nikolai Stephanson et al.
11 citations
Three new minor alkaloids—lophophine, homopiperonylamine, and lobivine—have been identified in peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi) cacti. These are the first psychoactive phenethylamines other than mescaline reported in these species. The discovery suggests that substances resembling Ecstasy may occur naturally, and further investigation of biosynthetic analogues could clarify structure-activity relationships of mescaline. The findings raise the question of whether such natural compounds can be considered designer drugs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 10, 2024
Ashutosh Bhave
10 citations
Decriminalization and legalization of psilocybin in several U.S. cities and states (Oregon and Colorado) have led to a significant increase in public interest in psilocybin, as measured by web search volume, while simultaneously reducing search interest in other psychedelics like LSD and MDMA. This shift occurred nationwide, even in states without psilocybin reforms. The authors suggest that moving public attention toward psilocybin, considered safer with lower overdose and hospitalization risks, has positive public health implications.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 7, 2023
Marianna Graziosi, Manvir Singh, Sandeep M. Nayak et al.
10 citations
Reports of psychedelic experiences show both similarities and differences across cultural contexts, yet most current characterizations come from Western medical and naturalistic settings. This article reviews the history of diverse psychedelic use in non-Western settings and compares accounts of acute subjective effects within and beyond Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) contexts. It contrasts themes from direct testimony and psychometric measures including the mystical experiences questionnaire, five-dimensional altered states of consciousness scale, Survey of God Encounters, Survey of Entity Encounters, Challenging Experiences Questionnaire, and Inventory of Nonordinary Experiences. Recommendations are offered for future empirical research to quantify cross-cultural similarities and differences.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2023
V. Tsang, Dragos C Razagan, P. Kryskow et al.
10 citations
Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are rising among healthcare providers, and conventional treatments have limited effectiveness. A 12-week pilot program combined a Community of Practice (CoP) group therapy with optional ketamine sessions for 57 healthcare providers. Symptoms were measured before and after the program. All participants showed significant reductions: depression scores dropped by an average of 6.79 points, anxiety by 5.57 points, and PTSD by 14.83 points. Those who also received ketamine had larger reductions, but the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting the group therapy itself drove the improvement.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 19, 2022
Marcio S. C. Longo, Bheatrix Bienemann, Marco Multedo et al.
10 citations
People who currently use ayahuasca/DMT, psilocybe mushrooms, LSD, cannabis, or MDMA/ecstasy score higher on nature relatedness than those who have never used these substances. After accounting for sociodemographic factors, only current and past use of ayahuasca/DMT remained positively associated with nature relatedness. Among those who reported an intention to use psilocybe mushrooms in the future, that intention was also linked to higher nature relatedness. The findings suggest that classic serotonergic psychedelics may have a unique relationship with nature relatedness, but the cross-sectional design cannot establish causation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2009
Jason P. Lott, Douglas B. Marlowe, Robert Forman
10 citations
Over a 25-month period starting in March 2003, researchers conducted eight Google searches using the term 'psilocybin spores' and scored the first 100 nonsponsored links from each search. Of the 800 links examined, 58% led to websites offering to sell psilocybin spores, and some sites also offered whole Psilocybe mushrooms. The authors did not verify whether the marketed products were genuine. The findings indicate that psilocybin and its spores are widely available for purchase online, which may facilitate illicit use of this potent psychoactive substance. Further studies are needed to determine whether advertised products are actually delivered.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 6, 2024
Rotem Petranker, Valentyn Sobolenko, Zeina Beidas et al.
9 citations
People who exclusively microdose psychedelics differ from those who also take larger doses. Exclusive microdosers are older (average 46.4 vs. 42.0 years), more often female (68.4% vs. 44.7%), non-Caucasian (25.4% vs. 14.7%), and urban residents (43.9% vs. 38.5%). They report using fewer non-psychedelic substances over their lifetime (3.8 vs. 4.7 substances). Most microdose multiple times a month (52.5%), commonly using psilocybin (74.5%), LSD (34.4%), or ketamine (15.8%), and 64.6% do not test their substances. The main reason for microdosing is improving general wellbeing (73.0%).
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 19, 2024
Anne Baker, Niloufar Pouyan, Julie Barron et al.
9 citations
A survey of 107 people who provide psychedelic support services outside clinical trials found that 40.2% held a full or in-progress license and 44.9% lacked a relevant graduate degree. Almost all practitioners pre-screened clients, offered preparation, integration, and trip-sitting, and used primarily non-directive approaches. Clients most often consumed psilocybin for conditions similar to those in clinical research. Practitioners perceived mostly positive symptom changes, though a small proportion reported worsened personality disorder symptoms. Further research on naturalistic psychedelic-assisted therapy is needed.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 13, 2024
Ar Wilson-Poe, Ka Hoffman, Jb Luoma et al.
9 citations
Experts with a mean of 15.2 years of experience facilitating psilocybin experiences overwhelmingly view first-hand experience with psychedelics as important for facilitators in emerging state-legal frameworks. Personal experience may indirectly improve care quality by enhancing facilitators' wellbeing and helping them understand clients' experiences. One participant questioned this necessity. The current legal frameworks in Oregon and Colorado do not address facilitators' personal psychedelic experience, creating an opportunity to study its association with service safety and outcomes.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 21, 2024
Peter Kenneth Gillman, Brian S. Barnett, Curtis J. Koons et al.
9 citations
A 42-year-old man with treatment-resistant depression experienced a hypertensive emergency with chest pain, palpitations, headache, and ST-elevation on electrocardiogram about half an hour after taking 1 g of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms while on tranylcypromine, extended-release dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, and other medications. He was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction, treated with lorazepam, nitroglycerin, and aspirin, and underwent cardiac catheterization that showed no significant abnormalities. He was discharged after overnight hospitalization with no lasting physical effects. The authors suspect phenylethylamine in the mushrooms interacted with the MAOI and amphetamine to cause the event, noting past studies suggest classic serotonergic psychedelics alone with MAOIs should not produce such emergencies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 22, 2023
Natalie Gukasyan, Sasha K. Narayan
9 citations
Three women aged 27 to 34 reported distinct changes in menstrual function after using classic psychedelics: resumption of menses after amenorrhea, early onset of menses when psychedelics were used in the mid to late luteal phase, and improved menstrual regularity in a woman with irregular cycles later diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The mechanisms remain unclear but may involve 5-HT2A receptor effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. These effects, largely overlooked in psychedelic research, may have therapeutic potential and need further investigation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 1, 1985
Ronald K. Siegel
9 citations
LSD, derived from ergot alkaloids, produces hallucinations by interfering with serotonin neurotransmission in the brain. The article traces the history of LSD from its synthesis by Albert Hofmann in 1938 through its use in psychiatric research and later as a recreational drug in the 1960s counterculture. It describes how LSD's effects vary with dose, setting, and the user's psychological state, and notes that while early research suggested therapeutic potential, political and cultural controversies led to its prohibition and the end of most clinical studies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 6, 2024
Aleksandra Barstowe, Petri J Kajonius
8 citations
A systematic review of nine studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy found that masking success was rarely reported and almost 78% of the studies had at best poor masking. Among active placebo studies, 60% showed large effect sizes, and among inactive placebo studies, 75% showed large effect sizes. Masking influences, including benign unmasking, cannot be excluded. Therefore, the efficacy of psilocybin, ayahuasca, or LSD is only one possible interpretation of large positive changes in symptoms for conditions like alcohol use disorder, anxiety, depression, and treatment-resistant depression. The authors recommend improving masking procedures and considering alternative trial designs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 31, 2023
Benjamin A. Korman
8 citations
People who have used psilocybin at least once in their lives work fewer overtime hours than those who have never used it. Analyzing data from 217,963 full-time U.S. employees surveyed between 2002 and 2014, the study found a significant negative association between lifetime psilocybin use and overtime hours worked in the past week, after accounting for demographics and other substance use. This translates to an estimated 44,348,400 fewer overtime hours per year across the full-time working population. The finding may help explain why prior research linked lifetime psilocybin use to reduced sick leave.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 20, 2021
M. Earleywine, Brianna R. Altman, Joseph A. de Leo
8 citations
People with depressive symptoms find a combination of ketamine and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as credible as CBT alone, and both are seen as more credible than ketamine alone. Those who have had psychotherapy before tend to view ketamine as less credible. Depression severity does not relate to credibility ratings. The findings suggest that potential clients are cautious about ketamine despite media attention, and that providing balanced treatment descriptions may reveal important credibility information.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 18, 2023
Raul Escamilla, María Eva González-Trujano, Jesús M González Mariscal et al.
7 citations
Psilocybin, a natural alkaloid in Psilocybe mushrooms endemic to Mexico, represents a novel and breakthrough therapy for major depression. Current antidepressant treatments require prolonged use with modest effects, adverse effects, and relapse upon discontinuation. This report presents a research project design that includes preclinical toxicity and pharmacological evaluation of a Psilocybe cubensis extract in mice, chemical analysis of the mushroom's constituents, and a clinical study. The clinical component will assess safety and tolerated doses in healthy adults via pharmacokinetic measurements, followed by an open trial in patients with major depressive disorder comparing two single doses of Psilocybe cubensis with assisted psychotherapy to traditional care at a Mexican institute.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 1, 1993
Thomas J. Riedlinger
7 citations
A review of unpublished letters from the Tina and Gordon Wasson Ethnomycological Collection challenges the identification of Vedic soma as the psychoactive mushroom Amanita muscaria. In these letters, Wasson considered and rejected other psychoactive plants as candidates, including the mint Lagochilus inebrians, morning glory seeds, ergot, and the psilocybin mushroom Stropharia cubensis. The letters show that Wasson remained open to refinements of his theory.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 1981
7 citations
A case report describes the use of psychedelic drugs as an adjunct to psychotherapy for a single patient. The treatment involved administering a psychedelic substance during therapy sessions to facilitate emotional insight and psychological healing. The report details the patient's background, the therapeutic process, and the outcomes observed. The authors suggest that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may offer benefits for certain individuals, particularly those who have not responded well to conventional treatments. The case illustrates the potential for these drugs to enhance the therapeutic experience and promote lasting psychological change, though the findings are limited to this single case and cannot be generalized without further research.