Despite a politically vilified past, classical psychedelics, including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), are experiencing a revival in scientific and clinical research. When used under the appropriate guidance and setting, these substances show promise for substantially improving well-being and reducing mental ill-he...
There is a long history of psychedelic use throughout history. A great deal of research was conducted on the possible benefits of psychedelics until LSD and psilocybin became street drugs in the 1960s with reported negative effects. Declared illegal in the late 1960s, research slowed on the benefits of such drugs. A new version of the “street” use of psyched...
Anderson et al.’s [[1]Anderson B.T. Danforth A. Daroff R. Stauffer C. Ekman E. Agin-Liebes G. et al.Psilocybin-facilitated group therapy for demoralized older long-term AIDS survivor men: an open-label safety and feasibility pilot study.Eclinical Med. 2020; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100538Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (74) Google Scholar...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ViewpointsFull AccessWait for the Science Before Widespread Use of PsilocybinNicole Harrington Cirino, M.D.Nicole Harrington Cirino, M.D.Published Online:28 Sep 2020https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.10a32AbstractThe momentum behind psilocybin as the next big "breakthrough" in treating psychiatric dis...
BACKGROUND: While cannabis has a long history of spiritual use, its normalization in Western societies during the last decades has led to more recreational use. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of spiritual cannabis use as compared to recreational use and to the use of psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin. METHODS: The study employed a mixe...
Use of psilocybin reduces anxiety and depression when used as palliative care in cancer cases. Oregon is poised to legalize this drug for therapeutic use, a revolutionary step forward in the legalization process that will increase the care options for patients.
Despite the fact that psychedelics were proscribed from medical research half a century ago, recent, early-phase trials on psychedelics have suggested that they bring novel benefits to patients in the treatment of several mental and substance use disorders. When beneficial, the psychedelic experience is characterized by features unlike those of other psychia...
Psychedelics are back in vogue. In popular culture, political legislation, and scientific research, we appear to be witnessing an early twenty-first century renaissance of the heady acid days of the 1960s. The success of Michael Pollan’s 2018 New York Times bestseller, How to Change Your Mind, the decriminalization of psilocybin-containing mushrooms in Denve...
It is well documented that psychedelic drugs can have a profound effect on colour perception. After previous research involving psychedelic drug ingestion, several participants had written to the authors describing how symptoms of their colour blindness had improved. The Global Drugs Survey runs the world’s largest annual online drug survey. In the Global Dr...
Background It has been suggested that the outcome of the psychedelic experience is dependent on set and setting. While scientific research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics is growing, it is clear that in clinical populations an optimal set and setting will not always be attainable. It was aimed to assess under which emotional and environmental ...
BACKGROUND: The repeated use of small doses of psychedelics such as psilocybin and lsd over a period of time (microdosing, md) has gained popularity and scientific attention in recent years. Retrospective reports from users suggest clinical potential. AIM: To answer the question whether md with psychedelics could theoretically provide symptom relief for peop...
Microdosing classic psychedelics (e.g., LSD [lysergic acid diethylamide] and psilocybin) is the practice of taking small amounts of these substances to bring about various positive life changes. Little is known about the subjective experiences and perceptions of those who engage in the practice. Accordingly, we use the sociology of accounts as a theoretical ...
Psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances that alter consciousness and brain function. Like cannabis, psychedelics have long been considered prohibited Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. However, via the powerful psychological experiences they induce, psychedelics are now being shown to be viable therapeutic alternativ...
The United States is a leader in world-wide medical innovation, but currently we face an epidemic of mental health disorders. Serotonergic psychoactive compounds such as psilocybin, mescaline, DMT, and LSD are currently being studied as potential treatments to be used in psychiatric medicine. Currently these substances are prohibited and designated to the st...
While interest in the study of psychedelic drugs has increased over much of the last decade, in this article, we argue that 2018 marked the true turning point for the field. Substantive advances in the scientific, public, and regulatory communities in 2018 significantly elevated the status and long-term outlook of psychedelic science, particularly in the Uni...
Mental illness is a public health crisis. Millions of Americans suffer through their days crippled by symptoms of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. These conditions take large social and economic tolls on our communities. However, the medicines used to treat them have remained largely unchanged for over fifty years. Though helpful to many people, t...
RationaleDepressed patients robustly exhibit affective biases in emotional processing which are altered by SSRIs and predict clinical outcome.ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to investigate whether psilocybin, recently shown to rapidly improve mood in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), alters patients' emotional processing biases.MethodsSeventeen ...
