Background Psilocybin has been studied for its potential therapeutic benefits, particularly for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. While more research is needed as psilocybin-assisted therapy becomes more prevalent, future pharmacists will probably be involved at some level. At present, phar...
Purpose of reviewThis review discusses the current and projected landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), with a focus on clinical, legal, and implementation considerations in Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare systems.Recent findings3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)- and psilocybin-assisted therapy ...
Background: Migraine is a common neurovascular disorder with a pathophysiology related to the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) system. Pharmacologic modulation of 5-HT receptors has demonstrated efficacy in the acute treatment of migraines. Psilocybin, a classic psychedelic with 5-HT receptor activity, has demonstrated therapeutic potential in the manag...
Context: Measuring therapeutic connection during psilocybin-assisted therapy is essential to understand underlying mechanisms, inform training, and guide quality improvement. Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of directly observing indicators of therapeutic connection during psilocybin administration encounters. Methods: We evaluated audio and video data f...
Psychedelic microdosing is the practice of taking very low doses of psychedelic substances, typically over a longer period of time. The long-term safety of chronic microdosing is relatively uncharacterized, but valvular heart disease (VHD) has been proposed as a potential risk due to activation of the serotonin 5-HT2B receptor. However, this risk has not yet...
The purpose of the study is to understand the feasibility of a resilience focused community of practice program that includes psilocybin-assisted therapy for End-of-Life Distress. The community of practice refers to a research informed group therapy process that runs over a 10-week period of time and includes one group administered psilocybin-assisted therap...
Introduction Psilocybin is considered a classical psychedelic and is increasingly attracting scientific and media attention as an alternative approach to the treatment of various mental disorders. Apart from its efficacy, an important question is the tolerability and safety of psilocybin in general and in a controlled environment. Accurate knowledge of drug ...
Flotation-Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) and mindfulness meditation (MM) are known to induce altered states of consciousness (ASC) and self-consciousness. In this study, we use a phenomenological and predictive processing (PP) framework to compare the interventions alongside the psychedelic experience. Ego-dissolution scores were greater th...
Flotation-Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) and mindfulness meditation (MM) are known to induce altered states of consciousness (ASC) and self-consciousness. In this study, we use a phenomenological and predictive processing (PP) framework to compare the interventions alongside the psychedelic experience. Ego-dissolution scores were greater th...
Background: In a recent clinical trial examining the comparative efficacy of psilocybin therapy (PT) versus escitalopram treatment (ET) for major depressive disorder, 14 of 16 major efficacy outcome measures yielded results that favored PT, but the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Self-Report, 16 items (QIDS-SR16 ) did not. Aims: The present stu...
Background Psilocybin use, along with other psychedelics, has seen an increased interest among professionals in the medical community due to its potential therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders (SUD), and palliative care. While it is certain that more research is necessary as psychedelic-assisted therapy becomes more prevalen...
Previous research has investigated potential synergies between classic psychedelics and meditation practice, but relatively little remains known about the relationship between classic psychedelic experiences and engagement with meditation practice.The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between classic psychedelic experiences and engagement...
Psychedelics are experiencing a strong renaissance and will soon be incorporated into clinical practice. However, there is uncertainty about how much harm they can cause at what doses. This review aimed to collect information on the health-hazardous doses of psychedelic substances, to be aware of the risks to which patients may be subjected. We focused on er...
The detrimental effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the benefits of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) are well established for cancer survivors. Increased cancer survival rates necessitate an understanding of how these two paradoxical outcomes, PTSS/PTSD and PTG, are targeted through interventions. This sy...
There are neurophysiological and phenomenological overlaps between psychedelic and meditative states, but there is little evidence on how exposure to psychedelics might be associated with meditation-related variables. We assessed lifetime classic psychedelic use, ego dissolution during one's most intense experience using a classic psychedelic, and exposure t...
Although certain psychedelic agents may soon gain federal approval for use in treating specific psychiatric conditions, the utilization of such therapies in clinical practice will depend largely on the attitudes of healthcare providers. Therefore, this study assesses the current attitudes, knowledge, exposure, and acceptance of psychedelics and psychedelic-a...
Previous research suggests that mindfulness meditation and psychedelic substances show promise as mental health interventions, but relatively little remains known about their potential impact on leadership outcomes. This study aimed to investigate if and how mindfulness meditation and psychedelic use may impact leadership among respondents with a management ...
The use of psychedelics for medical and recreational purposes is rising. Contextual factors such as expectancy, intention, and sensory and social environment (set and setting) are widely recognized as moderating the effects of these substances. Nevertheless, clinical trials of microdosing - the ingestion of small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics - r...
BackgroundPsilocybin is a serotonin type 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonist and naturally occurring psychedelic. 5-HT2A receptor density is known to be associated with body mass index (BMI), however, the impact of this on psilocybin therapy has not been explored. While body weight-adjusted dosing is widely used, this imposes a practical and financial strain on the...
Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are major contributors to the overall global health burden. COVID-19 has further aggravated mental health disorders and also increased substance abuse due to lockdowns1. The Global Burden of Disease reported that the pandemic has led to a 27.6% increase in cases of major depressive disorder (MDD) and a 2...
