Psychedelic Drugs

“Leon” is a young Brazilian man who has long struggled with depression. He keeps an anonymous blog, in Portuguese, where he describes the challenge of living with a mental illness that affects some 300 million people worldwide, according to the...

The psychedelic drug LSD induced synesthesia-like experiences in an individual who was born without vision, a condition known as congenital blindness, according to a new case study published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition. Synesthesia occurs when a person experiences...

MDMA appears to have a stronger effect on emotional memories than non-emotional memories, according to new research. The finding may explain why the drug has beneficial effects for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and similar psychiatric conditions. MDMA, more...

New research illuminates how the psychedelic drug LSD changes our perception of music. The study found that LSD altered the neural response to music in brain regions associated with auditory processing, memory, emotion, and self-directed thought. "​I have always been...

New brain published in the journal Scientific Reports sheds new light on how LSD produces its psychedelic effects. The drug resulted in the "emergence of new type of order in the brain," the researchers found. The study used a new...

Scientists at the Psychedelic Research Group at Imperial College London are learning more about how the drug LSD impacts sensory perception and learning. A new study, published in Neuropharmacology, sheds light on why things seem to become less predictable under...

Scientists in Canada have found preliminary evidence that a psychedelic drink known as ayahuasca can help people overcome eating disorders. "I was a psychologist working in eating disorders and colleagues and I were witnessing first-hand the drop-out rates, the relapse...

Mental health professionals have long struggled to find more effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. Scientists are currently investigating whether the illegal party drug known "ecstasy" or "molly" could help those suffering from the disorder. As part of that investigation,...

Psychotic episodes associated with ayahuasca and DMT appear to be a rare phenomenon. But new research published in Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology suggests that individuals with a history of mental problems could face an increased risk. Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic...

It may seem like a doomed attempt to mix business and pleasure. But a growing number of young professionals in Silicon Valley insist that taking small doses of psychedelic drugs simply makes them perform better at work – becoming more...

Ayahuasca goes by many names: Daime, Vegetal, Hoasca, Kamarampi, Huni … whatever you call it, this plant-based psychoactive decoction, which has been used by indigenous Amazonians for centuries to contact the spiritual world, has suddenly burst into global consciousness. As...

Long-term use of ayahuasca, a psychedelic drink used medicinally by indigenous Amazon tribes, may have the potential to serve as the basis for treatments for anxiety disorders, according to a study on fear reactions in rats published in the journal...

A psychedelic drink called ayahuasca, traditionally used for medicinal purposes among indigenous groups in the Amazon, may act as a fast-working and long-lasting anti-depressant, according to a preliminary study published in the journal Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria (Brazilian Review of Psychiatry). The...