Interest in psychedelics has expanded beyond clinical treatment contexts, yet little empirical work has examined how users describe psychedelic use in relation to sport and physical activity. This study conducted a qualitative content analysis of Reddit discussions involving psychedelics and physical performance. A Reddit search for “sports psychedelics” ret...
Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) systematically alters sensory and bodily input by combining neutral buoyancy, thermal and proprioceptive neutrality, attenuation of exteroceptive stimulation, and enhancement of cardiorespiratory signaling to the brain. Here we examined whether this non-pharmacological sensory perturbation induces a...
Abstract Background and Aims Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a novel, transdiagnostic treatment in which the 5-HT2A receptor agonist psilocybin is combined with psychotherapy. Studies to date have evaluated PAP's effects on depression, substance use, and end-of-life adjustment. Relatively less attention has been given to its effects on anxiety sym...
Background and objective: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders worldwide and affect all age groups. Current pharmacological treatments, such as selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and benzodiazepines, have limitations in terms of adverse effects and efficacy, which highlights the need for alternative therapies....
Psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression, is common among people with cancer and is often worsened by existential worries about mortality, loss of meaning, and decreased quality of life. Standard treatments, including medication and psychotherapy, often offer limited or short-term relief, highlighting the need for new, integrative psychosocial ...
Background: Social anxiety disorder is a chronic and disabling condition with limited response to standard therapies. Low-dose psilocybin may enhance the effectiveness of exposure-based treatments by modulating neural circuits associated with fear and avoidance. Virtual reality exposure therapy offers a controlled and individualized platform for intervention...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is growing evidence that psychedelics and associated treatment modalities may offer therapeutic benefits across a range of psychiatric conditions. Anorexia nervosa (AN), a serious and often treatment-resistant illness associated with significant morbidity and mortality, is one such condition for which psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has demonstrated substantial efficacy across a range of mental disorders. However, heterogeneity between patients confers differential responsiveness. This systematic review aims to explore factors which may predict therapeutic responses to PAT. A systematic search was performed from inception through to March 2024 and stud...
Psilocybin-assisted therapy shows promise for depression, though current evidence relies on Phase 2 trials with notable methodological limitations. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating psilocybin-assisted therapy for major or treatment-resistant depression up to February 2024. We evaluated depre...
Aging is associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation (“inflammaging”), which contributes to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Conventional pharmacotherapies often provide limited benefit in older adults and are further complicated by polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions. ...
Altered states of consciousness (ASC) represent a universal human capacity for accessing and transforming the subconscious mind, employed across cultures and millennia through diverse contemplative, somatic, pharmacological, ritual, and technological modalities. This comprehensive review synthesizes evidence from over 25 distinct disciplines spanning five cl...
Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has gained attention as a potential treatment for various psychiatric conditions. In this review, the authors summarize current clinical evidence related to psilocybin’s efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action across psychiatric disorders. Findings from early-phase and small-scale clinical trials suggest rapid but v...
This commentary critically examines the interpretation and analytic choices in Goodwin et al.’s (2026) analysis of therapeutic alliance in psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression. While the authors conclude that alliance did not meaningfully contribute to treatment efficacy, we argue that this interpretation is not supported by the reported r...
Background: Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has shown promise for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, the effects of open-label administration following blinded treatment are unclear. Here, we present safety and efficacy data from an open-label extension of a Phase II RCT (NCT02061293) examining PAT for AUD. Methods:...
Background/Objectives: Psilocybin has re-emerged as a promising intervention for neuropsychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, anxiety associated with life-threatening illness, obsessive compulsive disorder, and substance use disorders. However, conventional randomized controlled trials (RCTs)-the current gol...
Psilocybin, chemically known as (4-phosphoryloxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine, 4-PODMT), is derived from the psychoactive mushroom genus, Psilocybe. Of the four active metabolites, psilocin readily enters systemic circulation. The psychoactive effects of psilocin are thought to arise through partial agonist effects at the 5-HT2A receptor. Psychedelic drugs, inclu...
Depression and psychological distress are highly prevalent among patients with cancer and are associated with impaired quality of life, reduced treatment adherence, and poorer clinical outcomes. Standard pharmacological and psychosocial interventions often demonstrate limited efficacy or delayed onset of action in oncological and palliative settings. Psilocy...
BACKGROUND: New legal frameworks for supervised psychedelic services are emerging, with Oregon and Colorado implementing programs to train and license psilocybin facilitators. This study describes Oregon's early psilocybin facilitator workforce and assesses state-approved training programs. METHODS: The Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus (OPEN) reviewed Orego...
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if psilocybin, given with psychological support, is safe and helps treat anorexia nervosa in young adults. Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder that currently has no approved medicine. Psilocybin is a psychedelic substance that may help the brain form new connections, which could make it easier for people ...
Rationale: Ego-dissolution represents a key therapeutic mechanism in psychedelic-assisted therapy, yet current measurement approaches may inadequately capture its multidimensional nature. Objective: To develop and validate the Multidimensional Ego-Dissolution Assessment (MEDA) and examine substance-specific patterns across classical psychedelics. Methods: It...