Hallucinogens - Science topic

Background and Aims This systematic review examines the association between psychedelic use and enhanced life purpose and meaning, as assessed by the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Purpose in Life Scale (PILS). Interest in psychedelics' therapeutic potential has grown, with some studies suggesting that these substances encourage meanin...

The classic psychedelic psilocybin is receiving renewed interest in naturalistic and clinical research settings. Despite trends indicating increased rates of use outside of research settings, longitudinal data on the association between psilocybin use, mental health, and other substance use remains limited. A prospective longitudinal online survey...

Rationale The human psyche's interaction with death fundamentally shapes cognition, emotions, and behavior in both individuals and society. Death-related psychological phenomena have been shown to be influenced by psychedelic interventions. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive assessment of death-related processes in non-clinical settings,...

Neuroimmune interactions—signals transmitted between immune and brain cells—regulate many aspects of tissue physiology¹, including responses to psychological stress2, 3, 4–5, which can predispose individuals to develop neuropsychiatric diseases6, 7, 8–9. Still, the interactions between haematopoietic and brain-resident cells that influence complex...

Rationale Psilocybin is a potentially paradigm-shifting depression intervention. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of psilocybin-for-depression randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Objectives Systematically assess harm reporting, risk of bias, action mechanism specification, and incremental therapeutic effect sizes in the psilocyb...

Background Research has shown that psychedelics may have therapeutic potential in treating mental disorders like depression and anxiety. However, the mechanisms and actions underlying their effects are still not fully understood. Similarly, while the significance of mindset and setting in shaping psychedelic experiences and therapeutic outcomes is...

The study of dreams and altered states of consciousness opens a profound window into the nature of selfhood, challenging static and essentialist views of the self. This paper explores how dreams, psychedelic experiences, and meditative states reveal the self as a fluid, dynamic process rather than a fixed entity. Drawing from interdisciplinary fiel...

Mystical experiences and related phenomena may give us insight in, and provide the faith in the deep truth of maintaining our sacredness and believe in the co-origination of all beings. In this essay we highlight a broad spectrum of Self-transcendent Mystical) Experiences: Naturally occurring Spontaneously Generated Mystical Experience, Near-Death...

This paper pays special attention to the interfacing of the field of universal consciousness with a potential core of our individual Self, framed as the Soul-Particle, in the light of the phenomenon of Mystical experiences. In this essay (part 1), we highlight a broad spectrum of Mystical Experience manifestations: Naturally occurring, such as Spon...

People of Color have been under-included in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) research. Researchers have argued that systemic issues resulting in harms to communities of color like the War on Drugs and recurrent exposure to discrimination in healthcare settings may reduce their willingness to engage in PAT research. However, there are no empirical...

Objectives Psychological and existential distress is prevalent among patients with life-threatening cancer, significantly impacting their quality of life. Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown promise in alleviating these symptoms. This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence on the efficacy and safety of psilocybin in reducing cancer-rel...

Psychedelic substances have recently emerged as a promising method for treating mental health conditions, despite a history of stigmatization and restriction in use. The present review synthesizes existing literature on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA in addressing specific mental health conditions like d...

Background and aims Improved outcomes for substance use disorders have been described following non-clinical (“naturalistic”) psychedelic use. This exploratory study aimed to describe the naturalistic psychedelic experiences of people with substance use concerns and their reported needs and perceived utility of psychosocial support following natura...

5-MeO-DMT, a potent, short-acting psychedelic, induces profound shifts in cognition, affect, and self-awareness. Because language explicitly expresses these domains and voice implicitly conveys them, both may serve as potential ‘biomarkers’ of behavioural change. This study introduces a novel framework for analysing baseline language and vocal feat...

Rationale Emerging evidence suggests that psychedelic experiences have the potential to change attitudes towards death and reduce death anxiety. Improved attitudes towards death, specifically reduced death anxiety, are of psychological significance for clinical and non-clinical populations alike. Despite this emerging evidence, little is known abou...

Research suggests positive mental health outcomes associated with psychedelic use, but disparities in these outcomes exist between minority populations and Whites. This article examines the relationship between psychedelics and psychological distress among Whites and Native Indian or Alaskan Natives (NI/AN) who live in rural American Indian Areas (...

Anthropologists have studied the use of psychedelic drugs across cultures for over a century; however, this literature has yet to be compiled. In providing a brief survey of ethnographic research produced in the Global North on the ‘classic psychedelics’, this article suggests that there not only exists a robust subfield that can be called the anth...

5-MeO-DMT is a short-acting psychedelic that is anecdotally reported to induce a radical disruption of the self and a paradoxical quality of aroused, waking awareness that is nevertheless devoid of any specific perceptual contents. Here, we conducted an exploratory observational study of the phenomenological and neuronal effects of this compound. W...

The field of psychiatry has evolved over the past 2500 years. Between dynamic psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, lifestyle psychiatry holds a different space. This approach capitalizes on the lifestyle medicine movement, as it promotes change within 6 domains of activity. Apart from incorporating these lifestyle pillars as adjunctive therapy for...

Psychedelics offer a profound window into the human brain through their robust effects on perception, subjective experience, and brain activity patterns. The serotonergic psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) induces a profoundly immersive altered state of consciousness lasting under 20 min, allowing the entire experience to be captured during a...

An information-theoretic analysis of a new fundamental constraint κβ = -1/c² that governs phenomena across scales. Pointers to domains covered (with Section numbers): Explains quantum uncertainty as a consequence of information balance (6.2); Resolves the quantum measurement problem without wave function collapse (6.5); Derives Einstein's Field...

Background and aims Psychedelic and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy are at the forefront of new treatment models for mental illnesses such as PTSD and depression, as well as improving well-being. Mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation have also gained research traction, showing promise for enhancing emotional regulation and psychological...

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a serotonergic psychedelic, known to rapidly induce short-lasting alterations in conscious experience, characterized by a profound and immersive sense of physical transcendence alongside rich and vivid auditory distortions and visual imagery. Multimodal neuroimaging data paired with dynamic analysis techniques offer...

We aimed to investigate whether psilocin, the bioactive metabolite of the well-known psychedelic, psilocybin, may have antipruritic effects in mice by interfering with the kynurenine pathway and interacting with 5-HT2A receptors. Eight mice were randomly assigned to each of the study groups receiving either normal saline, compound 48/80, psilocin (...

The recent review of a new drug application for MDMA‐assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder by the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlighted epistemological and methodological challenges for evidence assessments. Similar challenges will also be faced in reviews of other compounds in early‐ and late‐stage development,...

Background Dextromethorphan (DXM) misuse, particularly among young individuals, has risen owing to its euphoric and hallucinogenic effects. High-dose DXM ingestion can trigger serotonin syndrome, a condition characterized by psychiatric, neuromuscular, and autonomic symptoms. In severe cases, serotonin syndrome may result in rhabdomyolysis and acut...

Introduction Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) represents a substantial public health issue, especially in oncology settings where it affects up to 30% of bereaved carers. Current best-practice treatments are lengthy, and up to 50% of participants have persistent PGD. Building on encouraging recent research with psychedelic-assisted therapies, the Psi...

Microdosing, the prolonged ingestion of psychedelics at sub-hallucinogenic doses, has gained popularity for its perceived cognitive and emotional benefits. Psychedelics have high affinity for 5-HT2B receptors, which cause heart disease with strong chronic activation. We investigated the effects of microdosed psychedelics on cardiovascular health in...

Decreased dendritic spine density in the cortex is a key pathological feature of neuropsychiatric diseases including depression, addiction, and schizophrenia (SCZ). Psychedelics possess a remarkable ability to promote cortical neuron growth and increase spine density; however, these compounds are contraindicated for patients with SCZ or a family hi...

Relatively little is known about the causes of fine‐scale aurora with scale sizes of ∼1 ${\sim} 1$ km and less. We analyze images from the Auroral Structure and Kinetics (ASK) instrument, a multi‐monochromatic spectral imager located in the Norwegian High Arctic. We analyze five categories of fine‐scale aurora. The categories described in this pape...

Altered states of consciousness (ASCs), induced e.g. during psychedelic-assisted therapy, show potential to treat prevalent mental health disorders like depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, access to such treatments is restricted by legal, medical, and financial barriers. Circular breathwork may present a non-pharmacological and h...

Psychedelics have demonstrated promising potential in treating mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD 8. Although women are more likely to suffer from such conditions 9 , sex differences in the effects of these substances remain largely unexplored.

Recent reviews have cast doubt on the classical "chemical imbalance" theory of depression and highlighted the complexity of serotonin's role in consciousness. This paper proposes a new framework situating serotonin not as a mood regulator, but as a modulator of conscious state flexibility. We integrate current findings from psychedelics, predictive...

Rationale N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a potent serotonergic psychedelic, bridges ancient wisdom and modern science. The mechanisms underlying its powerful psychedelic effects and out-of-body experiences continue to intrigue scientists. The functional role of DMT remains ambiguous. This paper explores the endogenous presence of DMT in the human b...

El clásico de culto la montaña sagrada de Alejandro Jodorowsky se estrenó en 1973 y desde entonces ha disfrutado de un creciente estatus de culto, alimentado aún más por el reciente movimiento renacentista psicodélico. Con un tono humorístico, la montaña sagrada incorpora las ideas y valores de su época tales como el reto a las autoridades vigentes...

Studies of psychedelic use in naturalistic and clinical settings have suggested safety and mental health benefits for adults with histories of childhood maltreatment. Acute psychological mechanisms that predict therapeutic benefits in this population, however, have yet to be determined. Two common group settings of naturalistic psychedelic use – or...

Psychedelic drugs can increase health, wellbeing, and even boost cognitive functions such as creativity. Beyond this, previous studies indicated that psychedelic drug intake can increase the sense of connectedness to the world, to others, and to the self. The present preregistered cross-sectional online survey investigated whether the link between...

Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound in certain mushrooms, has been used for centuries in spiritual ceremonies and neuropsychiatric therapy. Despite its stigmatization as a Schedule I substance in 1970, research into psilocybin has resurged since the early 2000s, particularly in psychiatry and palliative care. This review examines psilocybin's potent...

Background Interest in the therapeutic effects of classical psychedelics has risen recently. However, little epidemiological knowledge exists about the use of classical psychedelics in Scandinavian countries. Additionally, there is a limited understanding of what factors drive self-reported improvement in wellbeing. The aim of this study was to inv...

In the present paper, we analyze the ethical issues in training for psychedelic therapy and discuss mitigation strategies for these issues. Specifically, after describing models of psychedelic training, we describe four problems of psychedelic training: (1) the imperative for comprehensive training due to vulnerability of participants, (2) psychede...

Background The “psychedelic renaissance” is sparking growing interest in clinical research, along with a rise in clinical trials. Substances such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), psilocybin and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) are involved. The focus of this paper is on indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (INMT), a crucial enzyme in the bio...

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a classic serotonergic psychedelic that induces a profoundly altered conscious state. In conjunction with psychological support, it is currently being explored as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and depression. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a brain region that is known to be involved...

Studies reporting novel therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs are rapidly emerging. However, the reproducibility and reliability of these findings could remain uncertain for years. Here, we implemented a multi-institutional collaborative approach to define the robust and replicable effects of the psychedelic drug psilocybin on mouse behavior. Fi...

Ipomoea cairica (L.), commonly known as Morning Glory, is an ornamental plant widely recognized in folk medicine for its therapeutic properties. It has been traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments, including diabetes, hypertension, liver diseases, cancer, and heart disease. The seeds of I. cairica possess numerous bioactive qualities such...

Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound, has garnered renewed scientific interest for its potential in treating psychiatric and neurological disorders. This review systematically examines the latest research on psilocybin’s pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, and safety profile. Emerging evidence supports its effic...

Obesity is a multifactorial disorder involving a behavioural aetiology in subsets of patients that traditional therapeutic approaches have failed to address. Drawing parallels with addiction, the rewarding aspects of a chronic energy-dense diet can compromise dopaminergic reward circuits, eventually causing individuals to become habitually responsi...

Psychedelics have garnered great attention in recent years as treatments for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression due to their ability to alter consciousness and afflicted cognitive processes with lasting effects. Given these unique characteristics and the urgent need for efficacious treatments, psychedelics are being tested...

Characterising how perturbations of brain architecture influence brain function is essential to understand the origins of brain dysfunction, and devise potential avenues of treatment. Here we introduce a computational engine for systematic causal discovery of the functional consequences of altering network architecture and local biophysics in the b...

Pathological narcissism (PN) is a complex, treatment-resistant disorder characterized by unstable self-esteem that fluctuates between grandiosity and vulnerability, complicating the formation of a stable self-image. With few empirically supported therapies, treatment has traditionally relied on long-term psychoanalytic approaches, but these often f...

Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic with therapeutic potential for treating mental illnesses1, 2, 3–4. At the cellular level, psychedelics induce structural neural plasticity5,6, exemplified by the drug-evoked growth and remodelling of dendritic spines in cortical pyramidal cells7, 8–9. A key question is how these cellular modifications map on...

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the neuropsychological consequences of classic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca is conflicting, and little is known about how sporadic use of psychedelics under naturalistic conditions may affect cognitive functioning. Given the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and the rise in non...

Psychedelic treatments like MDMA can sometimes have side effects which persist despite management with Western medical approaches. In what follows, we present a case study of an individual who suffered from insomnia, anxiety, tinnitus, and more for months following MDMA therapy. Ultimately, her symptoms responded to management within the Traditiona...

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for demonstrating the efficacy of a treatment or intervention; however, the RCT study design alone is insufficient to prevent all forms of bias. In this paper, we review conflicts of interest and other biases that pose challenges to the methodological rigor of psychedelic RCTs, an...

Background and aims: Certain species of fungi can induce hallucinations due to compounds like psilocybin, and many studies have explored their potential as treatments for various conditions. This work aims to describe and illustrate two species of hallucinogenic fungi from northeastern Argentina (NEA): Panaeolus cyanescens and Psilocybe cubensis. M...

Mood disorders represent one of the leading causes of mental health related disability worldwide. Unfortunately, one-third of patients undergoing treatment with antidepressants (ADs) do not respond adequately. In this context, several new substances have recently emerged, including psychedelics, ketamine, MDMA, and cannabinoids. Regarding psychedel...

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance human functioning. While most research has focused on psychedelic' therapeutic use for mental illness, this review applies the PERMA Theory of Well-Being to systematically examine their role in enhancing well-being in healthy individuals. The final search of five acade...

Psychedelic substances are increasingly recognized for their potential to catalyse transformative shifts in worldviews. Central to these transformations may be states of awe, a self-transcendent, epistemic emotion. This mixed-methods study explored how awe during psychedelic trips relates to lasting changes in boundaries between self and world, and...

Background Findings from contemporary clinical trials suggest that psychedelics are generally safe and may be effective in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. However, less is known about the risks associated with psychedelic use outside of medically supervised contexts, particularly in populations that are typically excluded from parti...

The symbolic architecture of non-ordinary consciousness remains largely unmapped in cognitive science and artificial intelligence. While conventional models prioritize rational coherence, altered states such as those induced by psychedelics reveal distinct symbolic regimes characterized by recursive metaphor, ego dissolution, and semantic destabili...

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is gaining renewed interest as a potential treatment for anxiety, depression, and alcohol use disorder, with clinical trials reporting significant symptom reductions and long-lasting effects. LSD modulates serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors, which, in turn, influence dysfunctional brain networks involved in emotional proc...

Introduction: Substance abuse issues are identified, in Uttarakhand, despite limited and outdated data. Thus, our study aims to assess the risk and prevalence of substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, inhalants, sedatives, and hallucinogens) among teenagers and young people in the suburbs of Dehradun district o...

Purpose Despite the presence of mystical-type experiences in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), an understanding of the cognitive processes involved is still lacking. Guided by theory and empirical research, we hypothesized a cognitive-grounded perspective based on current metacognition models to promote the understanding of the psychological proc...

The serotonin-2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is an interesting target for drug design in the context of antidepressants that might have a rapid onset of action and/or be effective in treatment-resistant cases. The main challenge, however, is that the activation of this receptor can provoke hallucinations. Recent studies have shown that activating the recept...

Setting up a psychedelic study can be a long, arduous, and kafkaesque process. Researchers are faced with a host of challenges in this rapidly-evolving field, necessitating a range of questions that remain largely unstandardised. Many of the complexities inherent to psychedelic research also challenge existing assumptions around, for example, appro...

Trauma can impact individuals within a generation (intragenerational) and future generations (transgenerational) through a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors. This review explores the epigenetic mechanisms that have been correlated with the effects of trauma across generations, including DNA methylation, histone modifications...

Rationale Little is known about motives of healthy volunteers to participate in psychedelic trials and how they appraise their study experience retrospectively. Objectives This paper explored reasons why healthy people register for psychedelic trials, factors that they considered to contribute to either positive or negative study experiences, and...

A BSTRACT Introduction Substance abuse issues are identified, in Uttarakhand, despite limited and outdated data. Thus, our study aims to assess the risk and prevalence of substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, inhalants, sedatives, and hallucinogens) among teenagers and young people in the suburbs of Dehradun...

Psilocybin produces an altered state of consciousness in humans and is associated with complex spatiotemporal changes in cortical networks. Given the emphasis on rodent models for mechanistic studies, there is a need for characterization of the effect of psilocybin on cortex-wide network dynamics. Previous electroencephalographic studies of psyched...

Physics has spent centuries trying to tame the universe, reducing its chaos to equations, symmetries, and polite mathematical formalisms. But the deeper we look, the more obvious it becomes—reality is not a fixed system, but a lawless frontier where logic bends, time fractures, and consciousness itself alters the game. The cosmos isn’t a well-order...

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other psychedelic substances profoundly alter human consciousness. While several studies have demonstrated changes in brain function and connectivity associated with psychedelics, we still have a limited understanding of how LSD reshapes brain networks operating across different frequency bands. In this study, w...

Presents Stanislav Grof's theory of the human mind as a way to interpret works of art A lecture at the British Psychedelic Association, 2021.

Throughout history, transformative thinkers have often stood at the margins of their disciplines, challenging institutional orthodoxy and synthesizing knowledge across fields. Figures like Nikola Tesla, Giordano Bruno, David Bohm, Simone Weil, Jaron Lanier, Alan Turing, Terence McKenna, and Carl Jung share a common trajectory: radical independence,...

Background/Objectives: Liver inflammatory diseases are a major global health burden and are often exacerbated by inflammation driven by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) through toll-like receptor 4 signaling. This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory effects of psilocybin and eugenol in an LPS-induced liver inflammation model in C57BL/6J mice. Methods: M...

Psilocybin shows significant therapeutic potential for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in addressing various psychiatric conditions. The biosynthetic approach promises rapid and efficient production of psilocybin. Understanding the enzymes that contribute to the biosynthesis of psilocybin can enhance its production process. In this study, we eluc...

There has been substantial recent renewed interest and investment to assess the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds in addiction disorders. This editorial discusses the available evidence from randomised trials and future research directions in the field, together with potential implications for patients, professionals and the wider addi...

Growing evidence suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapies can alleviate depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and substance use disorder, offering relatively safe profiles, enhanced efficacy, and lasting effects after a few applications. Athletes often experience high levels of stress and pressure, making them susceptible to these psychiat...

Background Comorbid mental health symptoms impact 30–40% of cancer patients, significantly compromising treatment adherence and increasing mortality rates. Among patients undergoing radiation therapy, which is delivered with palliative intent in nearly half of all cases and for those nearing end-of-life, these rates may be even higher. Emerging res...

Mushrooms are unique fungi that play a vital role in ecosystems as decomposers, breaking down organic matter and recycling nutrients. Unlike plants, they do not photosynthesize but absorb nutrients through their underground mycelium network. Mushrooms come in various types, including edible varieties like button and shiitake mushrooms, medicinal sp...

25I-NBOMe (4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl) phenethylamine) is a synthetic psychedelic compound abused for its ambiguous legal state as a counterfeit lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). 25I-NBOMe acts as a selective agonist of 5HT2A receptors leading to hallucinations, intoxications, and fatalities. Here, we assessed the rewarding properties...

Mental disorders are a representative type of brain disorder, including anxiety, major depressive depression (MDD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), that are caused by multiple etiologies, including genetic heterogeneity, epigenetic dysregulation, and aberrant morphological and biochemical conditions. Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and lys...

Predictive coding frameworks suggest that neural computations rely on hierarchical error minimization, where sensory signals are evaluated against internal model predictions. However, the neural implementation of this inference process remains unclear. We propose that cross-frequency coupling (CFC) furnishes a fundamental mechanism for this form of...

Importance Microdosing psychedelics, including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), has gained attention for its potential benefits in several psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, LSD’s efficacy in reducing ADHD symptoms remains unknown. Objective To determine the safety and efficacy of repeated l...

ABSTRACT Drugs are spreading in a terrible image and millions of Algerians are falling into the trap of hallucinogenic addiction to cocaine, heroin and other types that vary in risk depending on the type and quantity of use by both sexes and different social and age groups, as revealed by the field results of the investigation on the prevalence of...

The increasing prevalence of dementia within an ageing global population, combined with prolonged life expectancy, accentuates Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as a multifaceted healthcare challenge. This challenge is further compounded by the limited therapeutic options currently available. Addressing the intricacies of AD management, the mitigation of co...