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Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental

ISSN 0885-6222

33 papers in the library · 2,772 citations · publishing 1994-2026

Papers

Genie in a blotter: A comparative study of LSD and LSD analogues' effects and user profile

Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental May 1, 2017 Leigh Coney, Larissa J. Maier, Jason Ferris et al. 18 citations

Most people who use LSD analogues (AL-LAD, 1P-LSD, ETH-LAD) have also tried LSD, and in the UK and US a higher proportion reported using analogues in the past year than LSD alone. Users described the effects as psychedelic, obtained the drugs online, and took them orally. The time to peak effect (2 hours) and duration (8 hours) were similar to LSD, but ratings for pleasurable high, strength, comedown, urge to use more drugs, value for money, and risk of harm were all significantly lower for the analogues compared with LSD. The authors suggest future studies should confirm these findings with chemical testing and dose measurement.

Hallucinogenic drugs attenuate the subjective response to alcohol in humans

Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental January 1, 2000 Sean P. Barrett, Jennifer Archambault, Marla Engelberg et al. 11 citations

In a retrospective study of 22 people who used lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin, most reported that hallucinogens blocked or reduced the subjective effects of alcohol. Among those who combined LSD with alcohol, 86.7% reported a complete blockade of alcohol effects, and the rest reported a diminished response. For psilocybin combined with alcohol, 60% reported a partial antagonism of alcohol effects. LSD's antagonism was significantly greater than psilocybin's. The authors suggest LSD's effect on alcohol intoxication may involve interactions with serotonergic and/or dopaminergic receptor systems.

LSD: A missed opportunity?

Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental September 1, 1994 Gordon Claridge 11 citations

LSD was once considered a potential chemical key to understanding schizophrenia but was rejected as a drug model for human psychosis, while the amphetamine model gained preference. The rejection was influenced not only by scientific factors but also by psychiatry's and society's growing disaffection with existentialist interpretations of schizophrenia, which LSD was associated with as a recreational drug. The proscription of LSD and a shift toward an organic view of schizophrenia made the simpler amphetamine (dopamine) model more acceptable. Flaws in the dopamine model and challenges from a more psychobiological approach suggest a need for a more elaborated neurochemical account, including central serotonergic influences, which could restore LSD's utility in schizophrenia research.

Trajectories of sentiment in 11,816 psychoactive narratives

Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental December 20, 2023 Sam Friedman, Galen Ballentine 5 citations

Machine learning models trained on 11,816 publicly available testimonials about 52 different drugs can predict and quantify subjective experiences. The models identified 11 statistically significant latent factors linking drug receptor affinities to word usage, which mapped to brain regions. A pervasive distinction emerged between universal psychedelic experiences of heightened feeling and the grim, mundane experiences of addiction and mental illness. MDMA was linked to “Love”, DMT and 5-MeO-DMT to “Mystical Experiences” and “Entities and Beings”, and other tryptamines to “Surprise”, “Curiosity”, and “Realization”. The methods show potential for characterizing psychoactivity through data-driven sentiment analysis.

Investigating Hypo‐Egoic Features: Ayahuasca's Psychedelic Path Versus Meditation's Mindful Journey

Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental May 1, 2026 María Arqueros, J L Fayos Soler, Ausiàs Cebolla et al.

Ego dissolution, a temporary state of reduced self-referential processing and increased unity with the environment, can be modulated by both psychedelics like ayahuasca and contemplative practices like meditation. In a comparison of 37 ayahuasca users and 137 meditators, meditators scored significantly higher on the 'Delusion of Me' index, which measures acceptance, decentering, and non-attachment. While meditation practice showed a significant non-linear association with cumulative practice and higher scores, repeated ayahuasca exposure showed no evidence of a cumulative association with the index in this sample.

Pharmacological Management of Anxiety in End‐of‐Life Care: A Systematic Review of Benzodiazepines, Opioids, and Psilocybin

Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental January 1, 2026 Brunno Freitas Da Costa, Paula Hartmann, Daniel Pagnin

Anxiety is common and harmful for people receiving end-of-life care, but treating it with drugs is difficult. A systematic review of five studies found that both benzodiazepine-opioid combinations and psilocybin reduced anxiety symptoms. Psilocybin provided rapid and lasting relief, with about 60% to 80% of participants showing meaningful improvement. Both types of treatment were well tolerated and caused no serious side effects. However, the evidence is limited by small studies and narrow contexts, highlighting a need for more robust clinical trials.