In visual perception, an effect known as surround suppression occurs wherein the apparent contrast of a center stimulus is reduced when it is presented within a higher-contrast surrounding stimulus. Many key aspects of visual perception involve surround suppression, yet the neuromodulatory processes involved remain unclear. Psilocybin is a serotonergic psych...
Background: Depression is a major global health challenge, affecting over 300 million people worldwide. Current pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions have limited efficacy, underscoring the need for novel approaches. Emerging evidence suggests that peak emotional experiences characterized by awe, transcendence, and meaning hold promise for rapi...
Serotonergic hallucinogens also referred to as psychedelics, are psychoactive substances that profoundly alter perception, mood, and cognitive processes. These substances, historically intertwined with religious and cultural rituals, offer profound effects that extend beyond mere hallucinations to profoundly altered states of consciousness. Notable compounds...
Psychedelics are classical hallucinogen drugs that induce a marked altered state of consciousness. In recent years, there has been renewed attention to the possible use of classical psychedelics for the treatment of certain mental health disorders. However, further investigation to better understand their biological effects in humans, their mechanism of acti...
Introduction: The classic psychedelic psilocybin has attracted special interest across clinical and non-clinical settings as a potential tool for mental health. However, despite increasing attention to challenging psychedelic experiences, few studies have explored the relevance of emotionally painful, shame-related processes with psychedelic use. Methods: Th...
Introduction: The classic psychedelic psilocybin has attracted special interest across clinical and non-clinical settings as a potential tool for mental health. However, despite increasing attention to challenging psychedelic experiences, few studies have explored the relevance of emotionally painful, shame-related processes with psychedelic use. Methods: Th...
Introduction: The classic psychedelic psilocybin has attracted special interest across clinical and non-clinical settings as a potential tool for mental health. However, despite increasing attention to challenging psychedelic experiences, few studies have explored the relevance of emotionally painful, shame-related processes with psychedelic use. Methods: Th...
This retrospective case report explores the impact of psilocybin mushroom intake on the emergence of mental imagery in an autistic woman with aphantasia. Aphantasia refers to the inability to generate visual mental images, which can significantly affect individuals' experiences and cognitive processes. The case study focuses on a 34-year-old autistic woman w...
This retrospective case report explores the impact of psilocybin mushroom intake on the emergence of mental imagery in an autistic woman with aphantasia. Aphantasia refers to the inability to generate visual mental images, which can significantly affect individuals' experiences and cognitive processes. The case study focuses on a 34-year-old autistic woman w...
In this review paper, we delve into the potential applicability of psilocybin - a naturally synthesized psychedelic substance found within select species of fungi, as a prospective avenue for depression treatment. Depression, a widespread psychological malady affecting countless individuals across the globe, often proves stubborn against existing treatment m...
There has been growth in the use of psychedelics by the global population in recent years. In addition to recreational and ritualistic use, recent research into psychedelics has brought advances for treating mental disorders. Understanding the specific circumstances in which psilocybin leads to positive outcomes may have important implications for the future...
The gut-brain axis (GBA) refers to the sophisticated bidirectional communication system connecting the digestive system with the central nervous system. This interaction is enabled by a series of intricate signaling processes, encompassing various neuro-immune and hormonal pathways. The association between the gut microbiome and mental health has garnered im...
Psychedelics have been already used by human societies for more than 3000 years, mostly in religious and healing context. The renewed interest in the potential application of psychedelic compounds as novel therapeutics has led to promising preliminary evidence of clinical benefit in some psychiatric disorders. Despite these promising results, the potential f...
BackgroundPreliminary results from randomized controlled studies as well as identified molecular, cellular, and circuit targets of select psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin) suggest that their effects are transdiagnostic. In this review, we exploit the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) transdiagnostic framework, to synthesize extant literature on psilocybin.Object...
As source of sensory information, the body provides a sense of agency and self/non-self-discrimination. The integration of bodily states and sensory inputs with prior beliefs has been linked to the generation of bodily self-consciousness. The ability to detect surprising tactile stimuli is essential for the survival of an organism and for the formation of me...
Background: One of the main public health strategies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic consisted of implementing strict lockdowns to stop the transmission of the virus. Despite being an effective measure, the confinement and the associated social isolation create a stressful, potentially lengthy situations that has been proven to have several...
Serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or dimethyltryptamine (DMT), as well as psychoactive drugs that trigger phenomenologically- related experiences like 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and ketamine, belong to the most promising treatment approaches in contemporary psychiatry. Psychedelic-assisted psychothe...
After decades of stagnancy, research on psychedelic substances (such as LSD, psilocybin or DMT) has experienced a renaissance over the last 10 years, with various major research programs being conducted across Europe and the United States. This research primarily investigates the potential of psychedelics in the treatment of mental health disorders, their sh...
After decades of stagnancy, research on psychedelic substances (such as LSD, psilocybin or DMT) has experienced a renaissance over the last 10 years, with various major research programs being conducted across Europe and the United States. This research primarily investigates the potential of psychedelics in the treatment of mental health disorders, their sh...
The volume of research on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs has been increasing during the last decades. Partly because of the need of innovative treatments in psychiatry, several studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of drugs like psilocybin or ayahuasca for a wide range of mental disorders, including major depression. The first section of th...
