‘Authentic’ ayahuasca rituals sought by tourists often ignore Indigenous practices and spiritual grounding
Ayahuasca has gained global popularity, raising concerns about cultural appropriation and ecological impacts while offering potential benefits when integrated with Western mental health practices.
Psilocybin reduces alcohol use by altering gene expression in brain’s reward center
Psilocybin reduces alcohol consumption in rats by altering specific brain pathways, suggesting potential for new treatments for alcohol use disorder, according to a study published in Brain.
Older adults find psychological benefits in psychedelic retreats, despite milder acute effects
Older adults attending psychedelic retreats reported significant well-being improvements, driven by social connections and group activities, despite experiencing less intense immediate psychedelic effects compared to younger participants.
Brain imaging study sheds light on how magic mushrooms paint vivid images behind your eyelids
Neuroimaging research has found that psilocybin increases self-inhibition in visual brain regions and enhances top-down connectivity, leading to vivid, internally generated visual imagery with eyes closed.
The science of magic mushrooms: Fascinating findings from 7 new studies of psilocybin
In recent years, the resurgence of interest in psychedelic substances has spotlighted psilocybin as a potential breakthrough in mental health treatment.
Psychedelic compound reduces cluster headache frequency by 50% in new study
Psilocybin significantly reduced the frequency and severity of cluster headaches, with participants experiencing approximately a 50% decrease in weekly attacks and improvements in pain severity and medication use.
Surge in microdosing interest linked to loosened drug regulations, study finds
Researchers observed a 1250% increase in microdosing-related Google searches from 2015 to 2023, coinciding with the loosening of cannabis and psychedelic regulations, with over three million searches in 2023 alone.
Psychedelics show promise in enhancing brain plasticity
People who use psychedelics tend to have higher levels of BDNF, a brain protein that promotes neuroplasticity and neuron growth, suggesting potential mental health benefits.
New research highlights the intriguing effects of psilocybin in the auditory cortex
The psychedelic substance known as psilocybin initially increases then decreases neural responsiveness to sound in the mouse auditory cortex while enhancing functional connectivity.
Researchers shed light on the neurobiological mechanism behind MDMA’s empathy-enhancing effects
MDMA enhances empathy-like behaviors in mice through serotonin release in the nucleus accumbens, with significant effects in males but not females, and reverses empathy deficits in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder.
Microdosing LSD leads to longer sleep and earlier bedtimes, study finds
Microdosing LSD leads to participants sleeping 24 minutes longer and going to bed 25 minutes earlier, with an 8-minute increase in REM sleep, according to a recent study published in Translational Psychiatry.
Psychedelics integrate sleep-like spectral brain patterns into waking consciousness, study suggests
Researchers found that the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT induces brain activity patterns in rats that resemble those seen during sleep, even while they are awake. This suggests a unique state blending wakefulness and sleep-like brain waves.
MDMA found to have an interesting impact on emotional processing in the brain
Researchers found that MDMA enhances the brain's response to emotional faces, particularly happy and angry ones, distinguishing its effects from methamphetamine and highlighting its unique impact on social and emotional processing.
Brain hyperconnectivity unveiled as key to psilocybin’s psychedelic effects
Psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, increases brain connectivity, leading to profound changes in perception and feelings of unity, helping explain mystical experiences and its potential for treating mental health disorders.
Older adults who have used psychedelics tend to have better executive functioning
Psychedelic use is linked to better cognitive functioning and fewer depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults, according to a recent study.
