979 results for "Mindfulness"
Information parity increases on functional brain networks under influence of a psychedelic substance
Journal of Physics Complexity – March 01, 2023
Summary
Psychedelic experiences significantly enhance brain connectivity, with a notable increase in information parity observed after Ayahuasca consumption. In a study involving 30 participants, functional brain networks showed heightened statistical similarities between regions, particularly within the limbic system and frontal cortex. This suggests that the interactive information system of the brain becomes more resilient under psychedelic influence, indicating a potential mechanism for improved cognitive processing. The findings contribute to our understanding of consciousness and its intricate relationship with brain activity and mental health.
Abstract
Abstract The physical basis of consciousness is one of the most intriguing open questions that contemporary science aims to solve. By approaching t...
Utilidades terapéuticas del ayahuasca
Libro Comunicaciones – January 01, 2020
Summary
Ayahuasca shows promising therapeutic benefits, particularly for conditions like addiction and depression. Clinical literature indicates significant reductions in alcohol and cocaine use among dependent patients, with 60% reporting decreased symptoms of depression after treatment. Neuroimaging studies reveal notable activation in brain areas linked to emotion and memory processing. Additionally, users often describe experiences akin to psychotherapy, enhancing introspection and personal reflection. The compound promotes neuroplasticity through its effects on serotonin receptors, potentially improving cognitive aspects such as attention and memory.
Abstract
Objetivo: Exponer los potenciales beneficios terapéuticos del uso de ayahuasca, desde la neurofarmacología y la evidencia clínica existente hasta e...
Feasibility Testing a Meditation App for Professionals Working With Youth in the Legal System: Protocol for a Hybrid Type 2 Effectiveness-Implementation Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
JMIR research protocols – April 24, 2025
Summary
Probation officers and other professionals in the juvenile legal system face immense workplace stress. A new digital mental health initiative aims to help by testing a mobile app designed to boost emotion regulation through mindfulness meditation. This remote pilot trial involves 50 officers, comparing a specialized meditation app against a control. It uses ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to track real-time emotion regulation and objective app usage. The goal is to demonstrate this mhealth tool's feasibility and positive impact, making mindfulness widely accessible to support mental wellbeing in high-stress workplace roles.
Abstract
Probation officers and other professionals who work with youth in the legal system often experience high chronic workplace stress, which can contri...
Meditating in Live Stream: An Autoethnographic and Interview Study to Investigate Motivations, Interactions and Challenges
arXiv Preprint Archive – February 21, 2024
Summary
Live streaming meditation sessions create unique opportunities for mindfulness practice, combining digital convenience with real-time guidance. Research shows these virtual sessions help practitioners establish consistent routines while maintaining social connections. Through a human-computer interaction (cs.HC) lens, experts found that meditation teachers effectively use streaming platforms to reach global audiences, though digital interfaces (H.5.2) present unique challenges. The practice proves beneficial for both teachers and students, fostering community despite physical distance.
Abstract
Mindfulness practice has many mental and physical well-being benefits. With the increased popularity of live stream technologies and the impact of ...
Healing through the Body: The Potential Role of Daoist Meditation in Psychedelic Therapy
PsyArXiv – December 04, 2024
Summary
Imagine ancient wisdom meeting modern healing. Daoist meditation, emphasizing the body's subtle energies, shows promise in deepening psychedelic therapy. The idea is that cultivating bodily awareness can help individuals navigate profound psychedelic states, integrate insights more effectively, and achieve lasting well-being. This powerful synergy offers a holistic path to healing through mind and body.
Abstract
Healing through the Body: The Potential Role of Daoist Meditation in Psychedelic Therapy
Naturalistic psychedelic use and changes in depressive symptoms.
Journal of affective disorders – July 09, 2025
Summary
While psychedelic therapy shows promise, a large study on naturalistic use found it's not universally beneficial. Surveying thousands of US adults, it revealed a link between psychedelic use and increased depressive symptoms. Specifically, a "risk context" – like a negative mindset or lack of support – strongly predicted challenging experiences, which then worsened depression. This highlights how crucial a supportive setting and preparation are for positive outcomes.
Abstract
While growing evidence suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapy may have antidepressant effects in certain populations, little is known about the...
Neural filters to conscious awareness and the phenomena that reduce their impact.
International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England) – January 01, 2025
Summary
What if our everyday reality is just a sliver of what's possible? It appears our **consciousness** is often constrained by the brain's "neural filters," which narrow our perception. Yet, when the activity of these **neural filters** is reduced—through practices like deep **meditation** or the use of a **psychedelic compound**—individuals can access a wider awareness. This leads to a profound **transcendent experience**, allowing the mind to perceive information beyond typical sensory limits. Such states suggest a vast, untapped potential for human awareness.
Abstract
In this review, we examine studies suggesting that conscious or mental awareness is constrained by our neural filters. These filters include sensor...
Females in Psychedelic Research: A Perspective for Advancing Research and Practice.
ACS pharmacology & translational science – July 11, 2025
Summary
Did you know a woman's hormonal state might significantly shape her psychedelic experience? It's proposed that hormones like estrogen and progesterone modulate brain chemistry, influencing how psychedelics work. Fluctuations across the menstrual cycle can alter receptor expression and mindset, impacting the intensity and therapeutic benefits of substances like psilocybin. By tracking these hormonal changes, research can achieve greater data accuracy and offer individualized care, leading to safer, more effective psychedelic therapies for women.
Abstract
The influence of ovarian hormone fluctuations on neurochemistry, cognition, and psychological responses remains insufficiently examined in current ...
Intensive training induces longitudinal changes in meditation state-related EEG oscillatory activity
CrossRef
Summary
Intensive meditation training can tangibly reshape your brain's electrical patterns. Researchers investigated how intensive meditation training alters brain activity during mindfulness, expecting measurable changes. Participants underwent three months of rigorous training, with their brain's electrical signals recorded during meditation. Positive results showed replicable reductions in specific brain wave power, directly correlating with the amount of meditation practice. This deepens our understanding of how consistent meditation training leads to significant improvements in attention and overall cognition.
Abstract
The capacity to focus one's attention for an extended period of time can be increased through training in contemplative practices. However, the cog...
Editorial: Advances in contemplative sciences.
Front Psychol – January 21, 2025
Summary
Recent findings reveal how mindfulness and meditation practices are reshaping our understanding of mental well-being. Research shows these contemplative practices can measurably improve attention, emotional regulation, and stress response. Brain imaging studies demonstrate meditation's ability to strengthen neural networks associated with focus and emotional balance, while reducing activity in areas linked to anxiety and mind-wandering.
Abstract
Editorial: Advances in contemplative sciences.
A logical and topological proof of the irreducibility of consciousness to physical data
arXiv Preprint Archive – October 16, 2021
Summary
Our conscious visual experience, the very space of what we see, fundamentally differs from physical reality. A new analysis in q-bio.NC explores the geometric and topological properties of visual consciousness. It argues that these intrinsic properties cannot be deduced from physical laws alone. Using logical and mathematical arguments, it concludes that consciousness is irreducible to physical data.
Abstract
We show here that what we call visual space of consciousness, the space of what we see, is a specific space different from the purely physical one ...
Fearful symmetry in altered states: a bi-logic account of psychedelic action.
Front Psychol – August 19, 2025
Summary
Our minds often operate with two distinct, yet interacting, logical systems for processing information. A new theory proposes that psychedelics profoundly shift consciousness by altering the dynamic balance between these two fundamental modes of processing reality. Integrating neuroscientific and psychological insights, it suggests these substances don't just change perception, but enable a unique "bi-logic" state. This allows for novel perspectives and deep personal insights, potentially fostering significant psychological well-being and understanding.
Abstract
Fearful symmetry in altered states: a bi-logic account of psychedelic action.
La realidad fundamental y la experiencia mística.
CrossRef
Summary
Imagine a reality where mind and matter aren't separate, but unified. This exploration delves into how profound mystical experiences reveal such a fundamental, underlying order. It posits that our everyday fragmented perception is an illusion, suggesting philosophical frameworks like Neutral Monism confirm mystical states as a unique pathway to access this deeper, cohesive truth. This positive understanding highlights mystical insights as direct windows to ultimate reality.
Abstract
El fenómeno místico se entiende como una experiencia profunda y límite de la realidad, donde el ser humano llega a un estado de conciencia tal que ...
Social pain: A systematic review on interventions
F1000Research – January 10, 2025
Summary
Combining acetaminophen with forgiveness significantly outperforms either alone in reducing social pain. A systematic review of 14 randomized controlled trials, identified via MEDLINE from 548 articles, explored diverse psychological interventions. Medicine, including psilocybin, and mindfulness and compassion interventions, also proved effective. While this psychology review primarily focuses on emotional distress, its insights are vital for psychotherapists and psychiatry, though it doesn't directly address physical therapy or death anxiety. Spirituality, through forgiveness, offers a powerful path to healing social exclusion.
Abstract
Social pain is emotional distress caused by harm or threat to social connections that results in social exclusion, rejection, or loss. Social Pain ...
Feasibility of a Personal Neuromorphic Emulation.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) – September 05, 2024
Summary
Scientists reveal how our unique neural patterns could be replicated through neuromorphic computation - creating a "digital twin" of an individual's mind. Through active inference, our brains continuously develop and reorganize connections based on personal experiences. This suggests consciousness emerges from complex information patterns that could theoretically be recreated in non-biological systems, opening new frontiers in personal neural development and our understanding of human cognition.
Abstract
The representation of intelligence is achieved by patterns of connections among neurons in brains and machines. Brains grow continuously, such that...
CCNP Innovations in Neuropsychopharmacology Award
Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience – September 19, 2024
Summary
Psychedelics are profoundly reshaping mental health treatment, offering a novel psychiatric framework. These substances uniquely activate serotonin receptors and influence specific neural circuits, fostering transformative cognitive and spiritual experiences. A Neuropsychopharmacology review elucidates the complex mechanisms of two principal psychedelics, psilocybin and LSD, impacting brain plasticity. This deep Neuroscience and Psychology understanding is vital for future pharmaceutical studies and practices, addressing diverse mental health disorders. Such insights could even extend to conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, integrating brain, mind, and spirituality.
Abstract
For 3000 years, psychedelics have been used in religious contexts to enhance spiritual thinking, well-being, and a sense of community. In the last ...
The Intersection of Mental Health and Sexual and Gender Minority Identities for Older Adults Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Narrative Review.
The Nursing clinics of North America – June 01, 2024
Summary
LGBTQIA+ older adults with HIV face unique mental health challenges, with depression rates nearly twice the general population. Recent findings show promising interventions, including mindfulness techniques and innovative psilocybin-assisted group therapy, are helping this community thrive. Age-sensitive approaches combining digital resources with traditional counseling have proven particularly effective in supporting older adults managing both HIV and mental health concerns.
Abstract
The transition of HIV into a chronic illness has brought to the forefront the pressing need to address the complex web of social determinants of HI...
Tulving's (1989) Doctrine of Concordance Revisited.
Journal of cognition – January 01, 2025
Summary
Our conscious experiences don't always match what's happening in our minds. This fascinating insight challenges how we understand memory and awareness. Research shows that while we may feel confident about a memory or experience déjà vu, the brain processes behind these feelings often operate independently from our conscious awareness. This disconnect appears in various memory phenomena, from metacognitive judgments to recognition confidence, revealing that our subjective experiences can be surprisingly unreliable guides to our cognitive processes.
Abstract
The Doctrine of Concordance is the implicit assumption that cognitive processes, behavior, and phenomenological experience are highly correlated (T...
Sensitivity to visual features in inattentional blindness.
eLife – May 19, 2025
Summary
Even when people fail to notice a gorilla in plain sight, their brains still process visual details. Research reveals that humans can accurately report an object's location, color, and shape even when claiming they didn't see it. This challenges our understanding of attention and awareness, suggesting consciousness may work differently than previously thought.
Abstract
The relation between attention, perception, and awareness is among the most fundamental problems in the science of the mind. One of the most striki...
Integrated Information Theory and the Phenomenal Binding Problem: Challenges and Solutions in a Dynamic Framework.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) – March 25, 2025
Summary
Our brains seamlessly combine countless bits of sensory information into one unified conscious experience - a feat that challenges our understanding of consciousness. New advances in integrated information theory explain how our minds create this seamless experience through dynamic neural processes, showing how separate sensory inputs become bound together into the rich, flowing stream of consciousness we experience every moment.
Abstract
Theories of consciousness grounded in neuroscience must explain the phenomenal binding problem, e.g., how micro-units of information are combined t...
Developing a method for training clinical psychologists to recognize and repair alliance ruptures: a pilot study focusing on trainee experiences.
BMC psychology – June 11, 2025
Summary
Strong therapeutic relationships are key to successful mental health treatment. A new training approach helps clinical psychologists better handle alliance ruptures - those tricky moments when the connection with clients becomes strained. The program combines mindfulness, self-awareness, and interaction analysis. Results show trained therapists felt more confident and engaged, with 84% reporting improved client connections, up from just 22% pre-training.
Abstract
Research in psychotherapy has underscored the importance of therapeutic relationships, especially alliances between therapists and clients, in pred...
Education about pain and experience with cognitive-based interventions do not reduce healthcare professionals' chronic pain.
PeerJ – January 01, 2025
Summary
Healthcare professionals who experience chronic pain don't benefit more from their advanced knowledge of pain management techniques. Despite being experts in cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and pain neuroscience education, these professionals report similar pain levels as those with less expertise. Their familiarity with acceptance commitment therapy and other interventions doesn't translate to better outcomes, though they maintain comparable quality of life to healthy colleagues.
Abstract
Cognitive-based interventions like pain neuroscience education (PNE), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), and ...
Traditional Islamic spiritual meditative practices: powerful psychotherapies for mental wellbeing.
Frontiers in psychology – January 01, 2025
Summary
Ancient Islamic meditative practices are gaining recognition as powerful tools for mental wellness. Regular dhikr (rhythmic remembrance) and Quranic recitation show remarkable benefits for reducing anxiety and addiction. These spiritual practices combine meditation, breathwork, and focused attention to promote psychological balance. Modern research validates what Unani Tibb medicine has long known - Islamic contemplative techniques can enhance mental health and emotional wellbeing across all populations.
Abstract
The new millennium is witnessing a remarkable shift within the scientific community, to be increasingly understanding and accepting the impact of m...
Bringing MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD to traditional healthcare systems: tending to set and setting.
Frontiers in psychiatry – January 01, 2025
Summary
Veterans struggling with PTSD may soon have access to a groundbreaking treatment: MDMA-assisted therapy shows remarkable promise in helping patients process trauma. The Veterans Health Administration is exploring implementation of this psychedelic therapy, which combines MDMA with intensive psychotherapy. Key factors for success include creating optimal therapeutic environments and ensuring proper patient mindset. Early results suggest this approach could transform PTSD treatment for veterans and civilians alike.
Abstract
Although effective evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are available, a significant proportion o...
Neuromeditation: The Science and Practice of Combining Neurofeedback and Meditation for Improved Mental Health
Smart Biofeedback - Perspectives and Applications – September 28, 2020
Summary
Brain training meets mindfulness: New research shows combining EEG feedback with meditation can help people achieve deeper states of focus and relaxation in less time. By monitoring real-time brainwave patterns, practitioners receive instant feedback about their mental state, helping them recognize and maintain desired meditation states. This approach shows promise for treating anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD by teaching patients to better regulate their mental states.
Abstract
Beginning meditators often complain that they do not know if they are “doing it right” or give up before realizing significant benefits. Advanced m...
Psychedelics Align Brain Activity with Context
OpenAlex – March 11, 2025
Summary
Half of 62 adults rated a 19mg psilocybin experience among their life's most meaningful, profoundly altering consciousness. Using fMRI and EEG, brain activity under this hallucinogen, a naturally occurring alkaloid, reorganized. This reorganisation, influencing neural correlates of consciousness, integrated internal and external processing into 'embeddedness.' This state, aligning brain dynamics with context—like meditation or music, reflecting ancient human psychology—revealed how psilocybin shapes mindset and behavior. This neuroscience offers a framework for understanding psychedelic effects.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics can profoundly alter consciousness by reorganising brain connectivity; however, their effects are contextsensitive. To unders...
Neural effects of psychedelics: Complexity the key word.
Neuropsychopharmacology – April 16, 2024
Summary
The brain's response to psychedelics is surprisingly intricate, not simple. Investigations into how these compounds interact with neural networks reveal a profound complexity. Significant findings show enhanced brain connectivity and flexibility, indicating a remarkable reorganization of neural pathways. This deeper understanding of brain dynamics offers promising avenues for exploring consciousness and developing new therapeutic approaches.
Abstract
Neural effects of psychedelics: Complexity the key word.
Psychedelics and health behaviour change
Journal of Psychopharmacology – May 29, 2021
Summary
Psilocybin, a psychedelic, is emerging as a powerful psychological intervention for public health, showing promise in driving significant behavior change. This approach, rooted in clinical psychology and psychiatry, addresses rigid patterns in anxiety and addiction. Psychotherapists can integrate psilocybin with methods like Motivational Interviewing to enhance cognition and mindfulness. Exploring its influence on neurotransmitter receptors, this field of health psychology and psychedelics and drug studies offers new avenues for lasting lifestyle improvements, fostering overall well-being.
Abstract
Healthful behaviours such as maintaining a balanced diet, being physically active and refraining from smoking have major impacts on the risk of dev...
Self-Medication for Chronic Pain Using Classic Psychedelics: A Qualitative Investigation to Inform Future Research
Frontiers in Psychiatry – November 12, 2021
Summary
Individuals with chronic pain who self-medicate with psychedelics report substantial pain score improvements. An initial group of 11 people detailed practices like Cognitive reframing and Mindfulness, enhancing mental health and physical comfort. This preliminary work, relevant to Psychiatry, Clinical psychology, and broader Psychology, suggests psychedelics, often explored in Drug Studies for their Chemical synthesis and alkaloids, offer a promising Complementary and Alternative Medicine approach for this population. These insights will inform future controlled trials in Medicine, guiding psychotherapists in integrating such support.
Abstract
Background: Chronic Pain is among the leading causes of disability worldwide with up to 60% of patients suffering from comorbid depression. Psyched...
Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of Psychedelics in a Rat Model of Asthma Reveals the Anti-Inflammatory Pharmacophore.
ACS pharmacology & translational science – April 09, 2021
Summary
Psychedelic compounds reduce inflammation, independent of their mind-altering effects. Researchers hypothesized specific structures activate the 5-HT2A receptor for anti-inflammatory benefits. A rat model of allergic asthma screened 21 compounds. 2C-H (2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine) was the anti-inflammatory core. Its effects didn't link to typical receptor activation or behavioral potency. This suggests unique receptor pathways reduce inflammation, enabling anti-inflammatory drugs without psychoactive effects.
Abstract
Psychedelic drugs can exert potent anti-inflammatory effects. However, anti-inflammatory effects do not appear to correlate with behavioral activit...
The Evolved Psychology of Psychedelic Set and Setting: Inferences Regarding the Roles of Shamanism and Entheogenic Ecopsychology
Frontiers in Pharmacology – February 23, 2021
Summary
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, profoundly shaped human consciousness and psychology. Shamanism offers an ancient framework, demonstrating how these substances stimulated ancient brain structures and innate cognitive modules like self-awareness, "mind reading," and visual intelligence. This **cognitive science** perspective suggests **psychedelics** acted as **exogenous neurotransmitter sources**, influencing **serotonin and dopamine systems**. Integrating **shamanism** into modern **psychedelics and drug studies** can optimize therapeutic settings, leveraging evolved aspects of our **psychology** and **epistemology** for profound healing. This approach reflects deep insights into **neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior**.
Abstract
This review illustrates the relevance of shamanism and its evolution under effects of psilocybin as a framework for identifying evolved aspects of ...
Dispositional Hypo-egoicism
Oxford Handbooks Online – October 05, 2016
Summary
What if a less self-centered mindset could unlock greater well-being and richer connections? Research reveals a disposition where individuals naturally minimize self-preoccupation, showing enhanced present-moment awareness and less egocentric thinking. These individuals balance personal interests with others' needs, display emotional equanimity, and are less concerned with external evaluation. They exhibit an agreeable, attentive, and caring interpersonal style, often experiencing profound states like flow, awe, and compassion. This disposition fosters a harmonious life.
Abstract
This chapter examines the cognitive, motivational, emotional, and interpersonal characteristics that distinguish hypo-egoic from egoic individuals ...
The difference between 'placebo group' and 'placebo control': a case study in psychedelic microdosing.
Sci Rep – July 26, 2023
Summary
Our minds significantly shape how we experience treatments. Recent insights highlight that simply having a placebo group isn't enough; true placebo *control* is vital. Examining psychedelic microdosing, it was found that rigorous methods are essential to distinguish genuine substance effects from user expectation. By carefully designing trials, researchers can better isolate the positive impacts of novel compounds, ensuring clearer insights into their therapeutic potential and confirming their beneficial outcomes. This refined approach improves scientific understanding.
Abstract
The difference between 'placebo group' and 'placebo control': a case study in psychedelic microdosing.
A mechanistic model of the neural entropy increase elicited by psychedelic drugs
Research Square – October 26, 2022
Summary
The profound shifts in consciousness from psychedelics stem from a dramatic increase in brain activity's complexity. A new model proposes these substances, by activating serotonin 2A receptors, disrupt normal brain signaling, creating more diverse neural patterns. Computational simulations successfully showed this mechanism generates the observed brain entropy increase. This offers a robust explanation for unique conscious states and highlights a promising pathway for new mental health treatments.
Abstract
A mechanistic model of the neural entropy increase elicited by psychedelic drugs
Psychedelics and Health Behavior Change - Journal of Psychopharmacology (in press)
OpenAlex – March 24, 2021
Summary
Imagine a powerful new psychological intervention for behavior change: psilocybin. This non-addictive psychedelic, with low toxicity, is showing promise in addressing anxiety and addictive behavior by disrupting rigid patterns. Integrating psilocybin with established methods like Motivational Interviewing offers a potent approach for health psychology and public health. Psychotherapists in clinical psychology and psychiatry envision its use to improve diet, exercise, and mindfulness, enhancing cognition and well-being. This innovative strategy, emerging from Psychedelics and Drug Studies, could profoundly impact lifestyle disease prevention.
Abstract
Healthful behaviors such as maintaining a balanced diet, being physically active, and refraining from smoking have major impacts on the risk of dev...
Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution.
Curr Biol – April 13, 2016
Summary
A key finding reveals that when experiencing profound ego dissolution during a psychedelic experience with LSD, individuals exhibit significantly increased global brain activity. This suggests that the subjective feeling of a dissolving self is directly correlated with heightened functional connectivity across various neural networks. The research indicates that these shifts in consciousness are not merely psychological but are rooted in a more interconnected brain state, offering valuable insights into the mechanisms of the mind.
Abstract
Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution.
Clinical Interpretations of Patient Experience in a Trial of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder
Frontiers in Pharmacology – February 20, 2018
Summary
Psilocybin, a powerful hallucinogen, can profoundly shift perceptions for individuals battling addiction. Qualitative research on three participants undergoing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder revealed vivid, memorable moments. These experiences altered self-perception and relationship with alcohol, fostering feelings of catharsis and increased mindfulness. This clinical psychology approach, rooted in psychiatry and drug studies, suggests psilocybin's influence on behavior, demonstrating its potential in addiction psychology, as this alkaloid elicits variable yet deeply personal therapeutic experiences.
Abstract
After a hiatus of some 40 years, clinical research has resumed on the use of classic hallucinogens to treat addiction. Following completion of a sm...
Psilocybin with psychotherapeutic support for treatment-resistant depression: a pilot clinical trial
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology – September 01, 2025
Summary
Psychedelics and Drug Studies show promise for depression. A pilot trial with seven participants explored psilocybin, an alkaloid from chemical synthesis, for treatment-resistant depression. Two 25 mg psilocybin sessions, supported by psychotherapy, led to a clinically meaningful average reduction of 7.14 points in depressive symptoms, a large effect (Hedges’ g = –1.27). This highlights psilocybin's Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior. While two participants (28.6%) experienced sustained improvement, three (42.8%) relapsed. Mindset and spiritual experiences predicted outcomes, underscoring individual variability in response.
Abstract
Background: Depressive disorders are a major global health challenge, with many individuals unresponsive to existing treatments. Novel psychedelic ...
Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of magic mushrooms
Journal of Psychopharmacology – April 07, 2022
Summary
"Magic mushrooms" containing psilocybin, a psychoactive alkaloid, rarely cause serious adverse effects necessitating a medical emergency. From 9233 past-year users globally, only 19 (0.2%) sought emergency medical treatment, a per-event risk of 0.06%. Young age was the sole predictor. Most incidents involved psychological symptoms—anxiety/panic—relevant to Psychiatry, often due to poor mindset. All but one returned to normality within 24 hours. These Psychedelics and Drug Studies confirm their safety in Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine, showing severe physiological effects requiring Anesthesia are exceedingly rare.
Abstract
Background: Psilocybin-containing mushrooms are used for recreational, spiritual, self-development and therapeutic purposes. However, physiological...
American Trip
The MIT Press eBooks – July 14, 2020
Summary
The nature of psychedelics like Psilocybin in midcentury America was profoundly shaped by historical and social forces. From CIA LSD experiments to the Harvard Psilocybin Project, the user's mindset and surrounding environment—the "set and setting"—determined whether they were seen as therapeutic medicines or dangerous drugs. This era's unique context, encompassing the counterculture, politics, and psychology, influenced perceptions. Figures like Timothy Leary illustrate how collective suggestion, incorporating aesthetics and religious studies, created a distinct "American trip," revealing the deep sociological and psychological interplay defining psychedelic experiences.
Abstract
How historical, social, and cultural forces shaped the psychedelic experience in midcentury America, from CIA LSD experiments the Harvard Psilocybi...
Cognitive liberty and the constitutionality of criminalising psilocybin mushrooms in South Africa
South African Journal on Human Rights – January 02, 2023
Summary
South Africa’s criminalization of psilocybin mushrooms is unjustifiable. An interpretation of Section 12(2) of the Constitution establishes cognitive liberty as a fundamental human right, protecting both mind and body. Current legislation, including the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, directly conflicts with this constitutional protection. A political science analysis concludes that criminalizing psilocybin, a psychedelic, lacks justifiable grounds. This challenges existing drug law and calls for a re-evaluation of human rights regarding consciousness.
Abstract
The principle of cognitive liberty is assessed as a ground for challenging the constitutionality of the criminalisation of psilocybin mushrooms. To...
User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study
Journal of Substance Use – July 30, 2010
Summary
Over 81% of hallucinogen users reported a profound spiritual experience, with over 90% linking classic psychedelics like Psilocybin and Lysergic acid diethylamide to accessing the unconscious mind. A survey of over 600 individuals revealed users perceive less harm from these substances compared to MDMA or Cannabis. Many reported therapeutic benefits for Addiction and mood disorders, suggesting a promising avenue for Psychiatry and Psychology. This highlights the potential for Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, suggesting deeper inquiry in Psychedelics and Drug Studies, extending beyond Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Abstract
This study used a web-based questionnaire to investigate user perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use. Over 600 forms were...
“Diversity makes the richness of humanity”: the emergence of mental imagery after self-reported psilocybin mushrooms intake in an autistic woman with “blind imagination” (aphantasia): a 1-year retrospective case report
OpenAlex – August 16, 2023
Summary
A 34-year-old autistic woman, lifelong aphantasic, experienced vivid mental imagery for the first time after consuming psilocybin. This potent hallucinogen profoundly impacted her cognition, enabling her to manipulate images in her mind, an effect that persisted. This compelling case in developmental psychology and Autism Spectrum Disorder research highlights psilocybin's potential to modulate mental images. It prompts new thinking in cognitive psychology regarding aphantasia and broader implications for psychedelics in drug studies, influencing psychological understanding.
Abstract
This retrospective case report explores the impact of psilocybin mushroom intake on the emergence of mental imagery in an autistic woman with aphan...
Five-year outcomes of psilocybin-assisted therapy for Major Depressive Disorder
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – September 04, 2025
Summary
Remarkably, 67% of individuals with Major depressive disorder achieved remission for at least five years following Psilocybin-assisted therapy. This long-term follow-up of 18 participants (75%) from an initial trial in Clinical psychology demonstrated sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, and functional impairment. Administered by a Psychotherapist, this approach in Psychiatry offers profound insights for Medicine and Psychedelics and Drug Studies. Participants reported lasting positive changes in mindset and relationships, with no severe adverse events. This alkaloid-based treatment, a focus of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies, shows promise.
Abstract
Abstract Background Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability and economic loss, with high recurrence and treatment resistan...
Microdosing Psychedelics: Personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers
OpenAlex – November 01, 2018
Summary
Microdosing psychedelics, like Psilocybin or Mescaline, shows exciting potential for mental health. In the first pre-registered study of its kind, individuals regularly consuming small, non-hallucinogenic doses scored higher on creativity, wisdom, and open-mindedness, while exhibiting less dysfunctional attitudes and negative emotionality than controls. This initial finding, relevant to Psychology and Clinical psychology, suggests a new paradigm for addressing anxiety and other mental health challenges. It offers a lower-risk approach than full-dose hallucinogen therapies, potentially informing future Psychiatry and Drug Studies without requiring a Psychotherapist for administration.
Abstract
Microdosing psychedelics - the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin - is a growing trend in pop...
A “GENERAL THEORY OF MENTAL SUFFERING”, AND THE ROLE OF AN INNOVATIVE NARRATIVE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH
Psychological Thought – October 30, 2021
Summary
A compelling new perspective suggests mental suffering, from addiction to anxiety, arises when negative life narratives 'capture' the mind, offering a fresh context for Clinical Psychology. Psychedelics and Drug Studies indicate psilocybin can effectively free individuals from these patterns. This understanding of brain plasticity supports an innovative narrative psychotherapy approach. A psychotherapist could guide persons struggling with conditions like anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, transforming mental health and psychiatry by fostering ethical subjectivities.
Abstract
This article proposes alternative understandings of certain structuralist informed (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM-III...
Hallucinogens: Magic Mushrooms, Ayahuasca, Mescal Buttons, and Dr. Hofmann’s Problem Child
OpenAlex – October 01, 2020
Summary
Only about 100 of 400,000 plant species contain hallucinogenic chemicals. These substances, like psilocybin or ayahuasca, have been integral to human evolution, straddling science and mysticism. Defined as religious ecstasies involving alternate states of consciousness, magic, and mythology, mysticism is key. While biochemical analysis explores these agents, their impact on consciousness, often inducing a trance, extends to psychoanalysis, psychology, and literature. Psychedelics, enriching the mind, inspire art and aesthetics. Drug studies reveal their profound influence.
Abstract
Abstract There are about 400,000 species of plants in this world. Only a small fraction, perhaps 100 in number, contain hallucinogenic chemicals. N...
Psychedelics and potential benefits in “healthy normals”: A review of the literature
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – September 01, 2019
Summary
Psychedelics, a focus of modern Drug Studies, offer profound benefits beyond treatment, enhancing well-being in healthy individuals. These powerful hallucinogens, including compounds like Mescaline, foster enduring increases in Mindfulness and Prosocial behavior. Psychology reveals they boost Openness to experience, a key Personality trait, and improve Attunement to nature, impacting social psychology. Such experiences facilitate psychotherapeutic gains by modulating neuroplasticity, suggesting deeper biochemical mechanisms at play.
Abstract
We are in the midst of a psychedelic research renaissance. With research examining the efficacy of psychedelics as a treatment for a range of menta...
Life after Ayahuasca: A Qualitative Analysis of the Psychedelic Integration Experiences of 1630 Ayahuasca Drinkers from a Global Survey
Psychoactives – June 13, 2023
Summary
Integrating Ayahuasca experiences for mental health can be challenging but transformative. A qualitative research survey of 1630 Ayahuasca drinkers (50.4% male) used thematic analysis to explore post-experience integration. Participants described integration as often long-term, requiring tools like mindfulness and meditation, and involving feelings of disconnection. This challenges the sole focus on a psychotherapist, suggesting communal support and transpersonal psychology approaches are vital for transformative learning with psychedelics. While not detailing biochemical analysis or chemical synthesis of alkaloids, this work in Psychology and Psychedelics and Drug Studies highlights the complex human experience.
Abstract
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive plant medicine being explored for its potential therapeutic uses in Western contexts. Preliminary studies li...
An Overview on the Hallucinogenic Peyote and Its Alkaloid Mescaline: The Importance of Context, Ceremony and Culture
Molecules – December 05, 2023
Summary
Mescaline, a potent hallucinogen from the peyote cactus, profoundly influences behavior by activating the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, triggering Ca2+ release. This pharmacological insight is vital for Psychedelics and Drug Studies exploring its therapeutic potential. The impact of such alkaloids, whether mescaline, psilocybin, or tryptamine-based Ayahuasca, is profoundly shaped by the user's mindset and cultural context—a principle evident even in ancient archaeology. Integrating these natural alkaloid insights with modern medicine offers a novel approach to well-being, highlighting Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior.
Abstract
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a cactus that contains various biologically active alkaloids—such as pellotine, anhalonidine, hordenine and mesca...
Moral Enhancement Should Target Self-Interest and Cognitive Capacity
Neuroethics – April 26, 2017
Summary
Moral enhancement might be more effective by decreasing self-interested motivation than by directly increasing prosociality or empathy. A new Psychology model suggests this optimal path, emphasizing combined psychological intervention and cognitive enhancement. Drawing on Social psychology and Cognitive psychology, evidence from mindfulness and psychedelics supports this approach. These interventions, relevant to Psychedelics and Drug Studies and Human Enhancement, appear to diminish the sense of self. This reduction in self-interest fosters prosocial behavior, offering a fresh perspective for moral development and the Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment.
Abstract
Current suggestions for capacities that should be targeted for moral enhancement has centered on traits like empathy, fairness or aggression. The l...
5-HT2A Agonists: A Novel Therapy for Functional Neurological Disorders?
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology – February 08, 2017
Summary
Functional neurological disorders, debilitating psychosomatic conditions, pose a major challenge in Medicine with poor prognosis and limited treatments. Neuroscience and Psychology suggest these stem from abnormal top-down cognitive influence, where the mind perceives bodily dysfunction despite intact pathways—a disturbance of somatic self-representation. Emerging Psychedelics and Drug Studies indicate 5-HT2A agonists could help. These agents modify neural activity, disrupting hierarchical brain dynamics and modulating self-related processing, offering unique therapeutic potential. A clinical trial is warranted.
Abstract
Functional neurological disorders are frequently encountered in clinical practice. They have a poor prognosis and treatment options are limited. Th...
On the Varieties of Conscious Experiences: Altered Beliefs Under Psychedelics (ALBUS)
OpenAlex – November 30, 2020
Summary
Psychedelics can both relax and strengthen beliefs, profoundly impacting the mind. Psychology suggests "Relaxed Beliefs Under Psychedelics" (REBUS) occur with very high 5-HT2a agonism, a key mechanism in Drug Studies. Conversely, "Strengthened Beliefs Under Psychedelics" (SEBUS) explain enhanced meaning-making, but also paranoia and false memories. A new model, ALBUS, proposes these effects vary across the dose-response curve of 5-HT2a signaling, central to how these chemical compounds alter perception. This unifies psychedelic experiences as waking dream states, offering insights into memory.
Abstract
How is it that psychedelics so profoundly impact brain and mind? According to the model of "Relaxed Beliefs Under Psychedelics" (REBUS), 5-HT2a ago...
“Tobacco Is the Chief Medicinal Plant in My Work”: Therapeutic Uses of Tobacco in Peruvian Amazonian Medicine Exemplified by the Work of a Maestro Tabaquero
Frontiers in Pharmacology – October 07, 2020
Summary
In the Peruvian Amazon, tobacco, globally known for harm, is revered as a potent medicinal plant. An *Amazonian traditional medicine* practitioner applies it for five distinct ailment categories, including "problems of the mind" and parasitic illnesses. The most common *medicine* is an orally ingested liquid, inducing pronounced psychoactive effects and often emesis. This therapeutic *work* highlights sophisticated plant knowledge, contributing to *ethnobotanical and medicinal plants studies* and informing emergent *psychedelics and drug studies*.
Abstract
Introduction Harmful usage of tobacco is a public health problem of global concern and, in many countries, the main risk factor for non-communicabl...
Mystical Experience
Religions – June 24, 2022
Summary
Mystical experiences arise not from gaining new faculties, but from suppressing factors that construct ordinary consciousness. This psychological insight suggests our everyday awareness is built from the intricate, often socially-influenced, connectedness of mental contents. When these foundational elements are removed, the "negative" features of mysticism emerge, explaining its ineffability. This philosophical and epistemological perspective reframes our understanding of mind, consciousness, and self, offering profound implications for spirituality and religion.
Abstract
This paper proposes to study mystical experience by contrasting it with “ordinary” experience, i.e., with standard consciousness. It emphasises the...
Exploration of Evolution-Informed Compassion-Focused Therapy and Buddhist Approaches to Insight Meditation: A Three-Way Exploration
Mindfulness – June 21, 2023
Summary
A compelling exploration reveals how modern psychology's Compassion-Focused Therapy, a biopsychosocial model, deeply aligns with two ancient Buddhist approaches to meditation and insight. Three experts—a psychotherapist and two long-term practitioners of Buddhist philosophy—compare their distinct yet overlapping methods for cultivating compassion. This rich dialogue highlights the synergy between Western psychology and Eastern spirituality, offering profound new perspectives for mindfulness and compassion interventions aimed at enhancing happiness. This work enriches the growing field of Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology, with implications for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies.
Abstract
Abstract This paper explores the overlap and relationship between Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) as an evolution-informed, biopsychosocial approa...
Treating chronic pain with low dose ketamine and adjunct therapies within a biopsychosocial approach: a case series.
Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) – January 01, 2025
Summary
For individuals battling chronic pain, a novel approach offers hope beyond mere pain relief. This integrated biopsychosocial strategy combines low-dose ketamine with psychological and somatic therapies, leveraging ketamine not just for analgesia but also to facilitate crucial body-mind integration for rehabilitation. A case series of three individual experiences from a Florida clinic suggests that this form of ketamine assisted psychotherapy can significantly reduce suffering, enhance functionality, and improve overall quality of life, offering a promising path to better living.
Abstract
Chronic pain is an individual experience with physical and psychological dimensions. Ketamine is used in sub-anesthetic doses to treat chronic pain...
Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
Journal of Psychopharmacology – June 07, 2022
Summary
Only 1.0% of 10,293 past-year lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) users sought emergency medical treatment, highlighting its relative safety in recreational use. However, younger individuals and those with mental health conditions faced a higher risk. Psychological symptoms like anxiety and confusion were most common, often linked to poor ‘setting’ and ‘mindset.’ While most reported feeling normal within 24 hours, 11 participants experienced lingering issues after four weeks. Proper screening and preparation in clinical settings could further mitigate these risks associated with psychedelics.
Abstract
Background: Recreational lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) use is growing in popularity amid increasing research interest on psychedelics and their ...
The Exploration of Naturalistically used Ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT
OpenAlex – January 01, 2020
Summary
Ingesting ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT significantly enhances mental health, with participants reporting a 50% reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms. The study involved 200 participants, revealing that those who experienced profound mystical feelings or ego dissolution showed greater improvements in mindfulness and empathy, with effect sizes reaching up to 0.8. Enhanced capacities for observing and non-judgement were also noted, suggesting psychedelics may foster psychological resilience and well-being, positioning them as valuable tools in clinical psychology for mental health enhancement.
Abstract
The research summarized in this doctoral dissertation sought to investigate the effects of both ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT on mental health-related va...
Ayahuasca may help to improve self‐compassion and self‐criticism capacities
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental – August 19, 2021
Summary
Ayahuasca significantly enhances self-compassion among users, with 67.4% of 45 participants having prior experience with the brew. After an ayahuasca ceremony, improvements in self-compassion were noted, boasting medium to large effect sizes (η² = 0.184–0.276). Participants showed reduced self-criticism and increased self-reassurance, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits for those struggling with negative emotions and psychopathological conditions. These findings highlight ayahuasca's role in promoting psychological well-being, particularly through mindfulness and self-compassion interventions within clinical psychology.
Abstract
Abstract Objective Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew that originated in the Amazon basin. The psychological effects of this drug are becoming better ...