Reduced Precision Underwrites Ego Dissolution and Therapeutic Outcomes Under Psychedelics

Classic psychedelics are thought to reduce the precision of belief updating, allowing access to a wider range of hypotheses for making sense of the world. This process in higher cortices may explain their therapeutic effects on internalizing disorders. The authors argue that reduced precision also underlies changes in consciousness known as ego dissolution, and that alterations in consciousness and attention under psychedelics share a common mechanism of reduced precision in Bayesian belief updating. Evidence linking serotonergic receptors to large-scale connectivity changes in the cortex suggests that the precision of Bayesian belief updating may be a mechanism for modifying and investigating consciousness and attention.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Evidence suggests classic psychedelics reduce the precision of belief updating and enable access to a range of alternate hypotheses that underwrite how we make sense of the world. This process, in the higher cortices, has been postulated to explain the therapeutic efficacy of psychedelics for the treatment of internalizing disorders. We argue reduced precision also underpins change to consciousness, known as “ ego dissolution ,” and that alterations to consciousness and attention under psychedelics have a common mechanism of reduced precision of Bayesian belief updating. Evidence, connecting the role of serotonergic receptors to large-scale connectivity changes in the cortex, suggests the precision of Bayesian belief updating may be a mechanism to modify and investigate consciousness and attention.