Despite psilocybin still being a Schedule I substance in the Federal Controlled Substance Act (OHA, 2022), Oregon voters passed Measure 109 in 2020, now codified into law as ORS457A, which allowed for the opening of psilocybin clinics for eligible clients. The passing of Measure 109 allowed for an adult-use model to be created, which is different from a ther...
This study explores how individuals from ethnoracially marginalized backgrounds engage with psychedelic substances for psychological healing, cultural reconnection, and resistance to structural neglect in mainstream health care systems. Based on 23 in-depth interviews and participant-observation within a psychedelic preparation and integration training progr...
Background: Psychedelics are gaining renewed scientific interest as a treatment for mental health conditions such as major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and addiction. Numerous clinical trials and meta-analyses suggest these substances may produce significant therapeutic effects. However, there is currently no high-level synthes...
Objectives: Given the increasing use of psilocybin-containing substances across a variety of use settings, understanding the potential risks is imperative for informing public health policy, health care providers, and consumers. Poison centers (PCs) receive calls following exposures to potential toxins to support the detection, prevention, and treatment of t...
Psychedelic Minimalism: The Case Against Music in Psychedelic Therapy SettingsIn response to: Kaelen et al. (2018), “The Hidden Therapist: Evidence for a Central Role ofMusic in Psychedelic Therapy.”Introduction: Reframing the Role of SettingIn recent years, renewed attention has been given to the centrality of set and setting inpsychedelic-assisted therapy....
Abstract Background Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is gaining attention as a potential treatment for cancer-related psychosocial symptoms. While growing evidence highlights its promise, little is known about how different stakeholder groups perceive its use in oncology and palliative care. Objectives This study aimed to assess stakeholder-specific perspe...
IMPORTANCE: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may offer a novel approach to treating depression, anxiety, and existential distress in individuals with life threatening illnesses, where current treatments show limited efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy versus active placebo and psychotherapy in adults...
Introduction: Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has shown therapeutic potential in treating mental health disorders by, amongst the many effects, promoting neuroplasticity and reorganising functional connectivity across cortical and subcortical networks involved in emotion and cognition. Veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often experience chr...
Perception of visual contrast depends on the surrounding spatial context. Typically, the salience of a central target is reduced by a high contrast surrounding stimulus, an effect known as surround suppression. Although this phenomenon is well-studied, the role of specific neurotransmitter systems during surround suppression in human vision remains unclear. ...
BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer often struggle with depression, which can negatively impact quality of life as well as be challenging to manage. METHODS: A phase 2 trial was conducted that demonstrated safety, feasibility, and efficacy of a single dose of psilocybin combined with psychological support in a community cancer setting in 30 patients with cancer...
OBJECTIVES: Psychedelics may be promising treatments for substance use disorders (SUD). This study aims to understand how individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), opioid use disorder (OUD), and psychiatric disorders perceive and experience psychedelics for both nonmedical and medical use. METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional survey study were collected...
Background: Although historical writings, anthropological accounts, and experimental studies document associations between psilocybin use and religion, no prospective experimental study has investigated how the effects of psilocybin are experienced and interpreted by religious clergy. This exploratory study evaluated the overall safety and the acute and endu...
Abstract Music is integral to Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), believed to enhance therapeutic outcomes by structuring experiences and facilitating emotional expression. However, the effects of conducting PAP without music are underexplored. This study examines the experiences of two breast cancer patients undergoing psilocybin therapy under Canada's...
Australia has become the first country to approve the use of psychedelics, namely MDMA and psilocybin, for clinical treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Here, we briefly explore the history of its use, how it works, and the hope it may provide people receiving end-of-life care.
BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a debilitating health condition that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the U.S. While preliminary studies have demonstrated that psilocybin is associated with lowered odds of OUD, current research in this domain suffers from a lack of investigation into the impact of race/ethnicity on this asso...
This thesis explores the psychosocial mechanisms underlying therapeutic responses to psychedelic interventions, advancing an enactive biopsychosocial perspective that foregrounds dynamic and reciprocal causal relationships between biological, psychological, and social processes. While clinical studies increasingly demonstrate the efficacy of serotonergic psy...