The ethical and technical challenges of recent research with psychedelics and the attempt to regulate them as a health technology open a new horizon for reflections on scientific development and questions about how we experience spiritual and non-ordinary experiences of consciousness and relate to nature. We understand that Psychology needs to resort to psyc...
Psychedelic therapy has the potential to become a revolutionary and transdiagnostic mental health treatment, yielding enduring benefits that are often attributed to the experiences that coincide with peak psychedelic effects. However, there may be an underrecognized temporal structure to this process that helps explain why psychedelic and related altered sta...
Abstract Background and Aims Networks of so-called underground, or illegal, psilocybin mushroom practitioners are popularly known to exist, though few systematic investigations of their practices have been conducted. We sought to uncover the experiences of a hidden community of psilocybin practitioners in order to inform scientific and policy dialogues about...
• A60-year-old man with recurrent depression and history of delusions died after psilocybin-assisted therapy. • Psilocybin-triggered delusions and emotional dysregulation may have contributed. • Weak therapeutic alliance hindered assessment of patient's internal state. • Delusional symptoms may contraindicate psychedelic interventions. • This case emphasizes...
Psychedelics, historically celebrated for their cultural and spiritual significance, have emerged as potential breakthrough therapeutic agents due to their profound effects on consciousness, emotional processing, mood, and neural plasticity. This review explores the mechanisms underlying psychedelics' effects, focusing on their ability to modulate brain conn...
= 7) in an open-label trial investigating PAT for cancer-related demoralization and chronic pain. Patients and caregivers were interviewed after their last treatment session in the trial; facilitators were interviewed at the end of the entire trial. Rapid qualitative analysis identified specific domains for improvement in the treatment protocol based on the ...
Background: Hallucinogens including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) (as ayahuasca), have re-emerged as potential rapid-acting treatments for mood disorders. We conducted a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials evaluating their efficacy in depression and anxiety disorders. Methods: A systematic review ...
This study seeks to understand the therapeutic potential of multiple prominent hallucinogens (LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, Cannabis, and DMT) by examining corresponding posttraumatic growth, transformational identity change, and experience(s) of mystical phenomena. College students (N = 278) completed an anonymous online survey. The data was analyzed to assess hal...
Serotonin receptors, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors, are a diverse family of G protein-coupled and ligand-gated ion channel receptors that mediate the physiological effects of the neurotransmitter serotonin. These receptors are widely distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, where they regulate numerous processes...
Psilocybin-assisted therapies (PAT) have been used to treat several issues including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), smoking addiction, and anxiety (Grob et al., 2011; Johnson et al., 2014; Kisely et a., 2022; Moreno et al., 2006). If more positive benefits of psilocybin are discover...
Over a decade after the first edition of "Behavioral Neurobiology of Alcohol Addiction," this chapter revisits the field at a critical juncture, marked by both persistent challenges and emerging opportunities. We reflect on the translational gap that has stalled the development of new treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD), despite decades of promising pr...
While the movement to liberalize psychedelics bears many parallels to that of cannabis, there are important differences that must be considered in development of regulatory policy. It is critical to avoid conflating debates about liberalization for therapeutic and recreational purposes. As with cannabis, this conflation has been driven by advocates of recrea...
Known for their capacity to alter perception and consciousness, psychedelics are increasingly being explored for therapeutic applications in treating conditions such chronic pain, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.1,2 Despite historical stigmas and legal restrictions, recent changes in legislation and the United States Food and Dr...
The revival of psilocybin in psychopharmacological research heralds a potential paradigm shift for treating mood and anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric conditions beyond the psychotic spectrum. This critical review evaluates current evidence on psilocybin's efficacy, juxtaposing potential benefits with the practical aspects of psychedelic-assisted psyc...
Psilocybin use has been increasingly popular in the United States, and its use as a novel therapeutic treatment for psychiatric conditions has led to greater public acceptance as a recreational substance. Consequently, clinicians are faced with managing complications and adverse effects associated with psilocybin use. We present three cases seen in a dual di...
BackgroundApproximately 8.5 million Americans over the age of 12 endorsed past year psychedelic use in 2022, with 1.4 million individuals initiating use during this time. Although emerging evidence indicates there may be beneficial aspects of psychedelic use, there is a need to understand how individuals might mitigate potential risks within nonclinical cont...
Psychedelics are emerging as an effective way to combat mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and substance abuse. Psychedelics such as psilocybin can decrease overactivity in regions of the brain that are associated with anxiety and depression; for instance, psilocybin acts as an agonist on brain receptors to induce consciousness-alteri...
