Psilocybin

Anecdotal evidence suggests that microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms offers mental health benefits. But a recent experimental study suggests that these purported benefits may be driven by users’ expectations. Findings from the placebo-controlled experiment were published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

Psilocybin, the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” has been shown to be a promising treatment for various mental health issues. New research published in Scientific Reports found that people who microdose psychedelics displayed greater improvements in mental health and mood...

Scientists have taken an important first step into studying the effects of the psychedelic drug psilocybin -- the active substance in "magic" mushrooms -- at a cellular and genetic level. Their findings, published in Scientific Reports, indicate that a single...

Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, has been shown to be an promising treatment of mood and addictive disorders. Psilocybin is associated with general long-lasting positive psychological effects in healthy individuals as well. New research published in Frontiers in...

Despite a number of clinical trials showing that psilocybin can rapidly treat depression, including for cancer-related anxiety and depression, little is known about how psilocybin actually works to relieve depression in the brain.

Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown promise as a treatment for depression. New research published in Cannabis finds that cannabis users expected that cannabis-assisted therapy could produce similar subjective experiences and have similar therapeutic benefits for the treatment of depression as psilocybin-assisted...

An analysis of a large international drug survey suggests that psilocybin is a relatively safe drug, with only 0.2% of magic mushroom users having sought emergency medical care after use. The findings, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, further suggest that such...

People with depressive symptoms appear to think it is relatively important that guides for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy have personally used the psychedelic substance themselves, according to a new study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

Opioid abuse is a prevalent and very dangerous substance use disorder. Psychedelic use has been proposed as a treatment for various substance use disorders, leading people to question if it would be an effective treatment for opioid abuse. A study...

Psilocybin is the primary mind-altering substance in psychedelic “magic” mushrooms. Preliminary research has indicated that combining psilocybin with supportive psychotherapy can result in lasting improvements in patients with major depressive disorder and the findings have resulted in glowing media coverage....

The psychedelic substance psilocybin causes transient changes to the sleep-wake architecture of laboratory mice, according to new preliminary research published in Translational Psychiatry. The findings provide new details about how the drug impacts sleep-related brain activity.

The use of psilocybin -- the active component of "magic" mushrooms -- is associated with a decreased likelihood of engaging in criminal behavior, according to new research. The findings have been published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Consuming small doses of psilocybin at regular intervals -- a process known as microdosing -- does not appear to improve symptoms of depression or anxiety, according to new research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. The placebo-controlled study casts doubt...

Recent findings published in the journal ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science suggest that psilocybin, in conjunction with psychotherapy, reduces suicidal ideation and loss of meaning among patients with life-threatening cancer. These mental health improvements were maintained months to years following treatment. Cancer...

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy appears to increase both cognitive and neural flexibility in patients with major depressive disorder, according to new research published in Translational Psychiatry. But the findings suggest that psychedelic-induced increases in neural flexibility do not always result in cognitive...