Research topics
36 topics across 6 research areas
Curated entry points into the library, grouped by compound, condition, practice, and idea. Each gathers the studies, sample sizes, and evidence in one place.
Compounds
13- Psilocybin The primary psychoactive compound in psilocybin mushrooms, studied most heavily as an assisted therapy for depression, anxiety, and addiction. 4,326 studies 1,674 recent
- Ketamine A dissociative anesthetic with rapid-acting antidepressant effects, now an approved treatment for treatment-resistant depression. 2,950 studies 1,421 recent
- LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide A classic serotonergic psychedelic used in early and contemporary research on anxiety, cluster headache, and models of consciousness. 2,459 studies 580 recent
- MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine An entactogen investigated primarily as an adjunct to psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. 2,199 studies 599 recent
- Ayahuasca A traditional Amazonian brew combining DMT with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, studied in both ceremonial and clinical contexts. 1,552 studies 324 recent
- DMT N,N-Dimethyltryptamine A short-acting psychedelic studied for its acute effects on perception and its therapeutic potential. 1,456 studies 481 recent
- 5-MeO-DMT 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine A fast-acting tryptamine from Bufo alvarius secretion and synthetic sources, studied for treatment-resistant depression and for the whole-dose mystical experiences it reliably occasions. 1,048 studies 318 recent
- Mescaline A classic psychedelic phenethylamine found in several cacti and central to long-standing ceremonial traditions. 1,010 studies 152 recent
- Cannabis A widely used plant studied across pain, anxiety, sleep, and its interactions with mental health. 1,006 studies 250 recent
- Esketamine S-ketamine The S-enantiomer of ketamine, approved as a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression and studied in its own large trial literature. 849 studies 550 recent
- Ibogaine A psychoactive alkaloid researched chiefly for its potential to interrupt opioid and stimulant dependence. 587 studies 115 recent
- Salvia divinorum A psychoactive mint used in Mazatec practice whose active compound, salvinorin A, is a kappa-opioid agonist rather than a serotonergic psychedelic, producing a short and markedly dissociative state. 252 studies 20 recent
- CBD Cannabidiol The non-intoxicating cannabinoid studied for epilepsy, anxiety, and inflammation, with a pharmacology distinct from THC. 147 studies 37 recent
Conditions
5- Depression One of the most-studied indications in psychedelic and consciousness research, from antidepressant mechanisms to assisted-therapy trials. 5,260 studies 2,387 recent
- Addiction Studies of how psychedelics, medications, and behavioral approaches affect substance dependence and craving. 4,479 studies 1,578 recent
- Anxiety Research spanning pharmacological, contemplative, and psychedelic-assisted approaches to pathological anxiety. 3,015 studies 1,227 recent
- PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder A central target for MDMA-assisted therapy and related trauma-focused interventions. 1,112 studies 518 recent
- End-of-life distress Research on easing psychological and existential suffering near the end of life, a landmark area for psilocybin therapy. 263 studies 133 recent
Practices
4- Meditation Contemplative training studied for its effects on attention, emotion regulation, and the structure of experience. 4,522 studies 1,854 recent
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy The clinical model pairing a psychedelic session with structured psychological support. 2,631 studies 1,200 recent
- Microdosing The practice of taking sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics, and the evidence on whether measurable effects follow. 447 studies 174 recent
- Breathwork Breathing techniques used to alter arousal and consciousness, from clinical to non-ordinary-state contexts. 156 studies 69 recent
Experiences
5- Altered states of consciousness The broad landscape of consciousness that departs from ordinary waking awareness, however induced. 1,557 studies 550 recent
- Mystical experience Profound states of unity and self-transcendence, and their measured role as mediators of therapeutic outcomes. 1,509 studies 495 recent
- Dreaming Dreams as experience: content, phenomenology, recall, nightmares, and the threshold states at the edges of sleep. 528 studies 160 recent
- Lucid dreaming Awareness of dreaming while asleep, studied as a window into consciousness and metacognition. 380 studies 107 recent
- Ego dissolution The weakening or loss of the sense of a bounded self, measured on its own scales and studied both as a therapeutic mediator and as a source of challenging experience. 339 studies 143 recent
Traditions & thought
6- Philosophy of mind Philosophical inquiry into consciousness, subjectivity, and the mind-body relationship. 4,237 studies 1,703 recent
- Mysticism The study of mystical traditions and their accounts of union, transcendence, and unknowing across religions and eras. 1,433 studies 478 recent
- Shamanism Traditional and cross-cultural practices working with non-ordinary states for healing and meaning. 704 studies 155 recent
- Buddhism Buddhist thought and practice as they intersect with psychology, neuroscience, and the study of mind. 556 studies 216 recent
- Tulpamancy The practice of cultivating autonomous imagined companions, connecting to research on voluntary hallucination, agency, and plurality of self. 21 studies 7 recent
- Chaos magick A contemporary esoteric practice built on induced altered states and belief as a deliberate instrument, studied by religious-studies and psychology scholarship. 17 studies 3 recent
Mechanisms
3- Serotonin The neurotransmitter system central to the action of classic psychedelics and many antidepressants. 2,911 studies 869 recent
- Neuroplasticity The brain's capacity to reorganize, a leading candidate mechanism for the lasting effects of psychedelics and learning. 1,064 studies 631 recent
- Default mode network A brain network linked to self-referential thought whose modulation is associated with psychedelic and meditative states. 562 studies 220 recent