Frontiers in Psychology
July 10, 2020
Rotem Petranker, Thomas Anderson, Norman Farb
66 citations
Psychedelic research is experiencing a resurgence after decades of prohibition, driven by dissatisfaction with conventional mental health care and pioneering work by organizations like MAPS. Positive media coverage and commercial interests have accelerated hype, creating risks of conflicts of interest and lowered scientific standards. To avoid a replication crisis similar to those in psychology and medicine, researchers must adopt rigorous, transparent methods from Open Science: preregistration, open materials and data, reporting constraints on generality, and encouraging replication. The paper provides a pragmatic checklist and discusses how higher standards can build a trustworthy psychedelic science as these substances re-enter research and society.
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging
April 1, 2025
Clemens C C Bauer, Daniel A Atad, Norman Farb et al.
3 citations
The observer effect—the idea that observing a phenomenon changes it—is often seen as a problem to control, but this paper argues it should be actively studied and used. Mindfulness practices, which cultivate present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness, are proposed as a way to account for and intentionally harness this effect. In research, mindfulness training may help participants give more precise self-reports by reducing reactive biases. Evidence suggests mindfulness improves interoceptive awareness and reduces automatic judgment, potentially increasing measurement validity. Clinically, therapies often aim to make unconscious patterns observable; mindfulness cultivates meta-awareness, allowing individuals to observe cravings or anxiety without reactivity, facilitating psychological change. The paper proposes developing an observer-effect index to code observer influence.
BJPsych Open
February 16, 2026
Zeina Beidas, Anya Ragnhildstveit, Adam Blackman et al.
1 citation
This is a protocol for a phase II trial testing whether very low doses of psilocybin (2 mg, a microdose) can safely and effectively treat major depressive disorder. Forty adults with MDD will receive either psilocybin or a placebo once weekly for four weeks, then all will receive psilocybin for another four weeks. The trial will measure changes in depression symptoms, mood, well-being, attention, creativity, mindfulness, and pro-sociality. Results will be published regardless of outcome. The findings are expected to guide future research on dose regimens, effect sizes, and the role of expectancy bias, and to inform debates about sub-threshold versus threshold doses of psilocybin.
BJPsych Open
May 13, 2026
Zeina Beidas, Anya Ragnhildstveit, Adam Blackman et al.
This is a correction notice for a previously published study protocol. The original protocol describes a phase II double-blind placebo-controlled randomised partial crossover trial investigating microdosing psilocybin for major depressive disorder. No new findings or data are presented.
Research Square
February 23, 2026
Rotem Petranker, Norman Farb, Omer A. Syed et al.
Repeated low doses of psilocybin were safe and well tolerated in adults with major depressive disorder but did not show greater antidepressant effects than placebo. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 39 participants received either 2 mg psilocybin or placebo weekly for four weeks. Both groups reported similar reductions in depression scores on the PHQ-9 (psilocybin: -5.4; placebo: -6.0) and other measures. The microdose-first group showed slightly more improvement on a dysfunctional attitudes scale than the placebo-first group. No serious adverse events occurred, and symptom reductions continued during an open-label phase. Trial participation itself contributed to clinically meaningful improvement.