All posts tagged: Psychedelic

Changes in dysfunctional attitudes linked to improved wellbeing after psychedelic use

Changes in dysfunctional attitudes linked to improved wellbeing after psychedelic use

Published by José

Recent research published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs sheds light on the ways psychedelic experiences might influence mental wellbeing. The study suggests that while intense, subjective reactions during psychedelic use—such as emotional breakthroughs or mystical feelings—contribute to improvements in wellbeing, changes in dysfunctional attitudes after the experience play an even larger role. Psychedelic-assisted therapy has gained attention for its potential to improve mental health, particularly in treating depression, anxiety, and trauma. However, many studies have focused on the immediate, subjective experiences induced by psychedelics, such as feelings of unity or emotional release. Less attention has been given to how these experiences might influence dysfunctional attitudes—rigid, negative thought patterns about oneself, others, and the future. These attitudes are known contributors to mental health challenges and are common targets in cognitive-behavioral therapies. “Many traditional models of psychotherapy focus on helping people change overgeneralized, rigid thoughts known as dysfunctional attitudes. These dysfunctional attitudes tend to improve in clinical trials of both medication and psychotherapy,” said study author Genevieve S. Falabella, a clinical psychology doctoral student at the …

Psychedelic Medicine Has a Therapy Problem

Psychedelic Medicine Has a Therapy Problem

Published by skeptic

On Friday, the fledgling field of psychedelic medicine suffered a major setback. The FDA declined to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, instead asking the drugmaker Lykos Therapeutics to conduct another clinical trial to better show that the treatment is safe and effective. The agency’s full reasoning was shared only in a private letter to the company, but an advisory committee previously raised concerns about missing data on adverse events, accusations of misconduct that endangered patients, and concern that participants knew whether they received the drug or the placebo. The FDA’s decision, its first on a psychedelic drug, will likely only delay psychedelic medicine’s official debut in mainstream medicine. Lykos plans to ask the agency to reconsider. But even this initial rejection could prompt major shifts in how researchers, drug companies, and regulators deal with a poorly understood and hotly contested part of psychedelic therapy—the therapy itself. To many proponents of psychedelics, the combination of therapy and drugs has the greatest potential to change how the U.S. deals with mental health. Friday’s rejection highlights the difficulty …

Psychedelic toxins from toads could treat depression and anxiety

Psychedelic toxins from toads could treat depression and anxiety

Published by skeptic

This desert-roaming toad releases a compound with potential benefits similar to those from LSD and psilocybin Milan Zygmunt/Shutterstock A psychedelic compound secreted by a poisonous toad could help treat depression and anxiety, according to a study in mice. When frightened, Colorado river toads (Incilius alvarius) release a hallucinogenic compound related to the drug DMT from glands in their skin. DMT, or dimethyltryptamine, is similar in structure and effects to psilocybin, a hallucinogen found in “magic mushrooms”. Colorado river toads live in and around the Sonoran desert spanning parts of Arizona, California and Mexico, and people seeking out the groovy effects of the substance may either lick the toads directly, or extract the venom, dry it and smoke it. Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York investigated the potential health benefits of the toad secretions. We know that psychedelics like psilocybin can treat depression in some people, but it isn’t fully clear why this compound helps. However, it appears to interact with serotonin receptors and reset the activity of neural circuits in the brain. Most …

Dua Lipa: Radical Optimism review – ‘psychedelic pop-infused’? Pull the other one! | Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa: Radical Optimism review – ‘psychedelic pop-infused’? Pull the other one! | Dua Lipa

Published by skeptic

Earlier this year, Dua Lipa gave a lengthy magazine interview, the first salvo on the promotional trail for her third album. It wasn’t very interesting – she’s smart enough to keep her private life and her opinions on anything contentious to herself in a world of over-sharing and constantly simmering online outrage – but there was one surprising detail. She said the album was “a psychedelic pop-infused tribute to UK rave culture”, influenced by Primal Scream, Massive Attack and the “don’t give a fuck-ness” of Oasis and Blur. The artwork for Radical Optimism. Photograph: AP That all sounds intriguing. It would clearly be a dramatic departure from the disco-house sound of 2020’s Future Nostalgia, while feeling curiously of the moment: all those artists reached their peak three decades ago, and 90s revivalism appears to be having a moment. A hankering after the era’s pre-9/11 optimism and pre-smartphone straightforwardness has meant Britpop references suddenly seem to be everywhere, as a recent feature in this newspaper noted. Perhaps, by delving into some corners of the 90s where …

What is HPPD? Why psychedelic drug highs last years in some users

What is HPPD? Why psychedelic drug highs last years in some users

Published by skeptic

A.J. took two small hits off a cannabis vape pen, a common ritual with his morning coffee. Moments after exhaling, a transfigured, kaleidoscopic version of the world emerged before his eyes. “Some colors are seeping into the other colors,” the 30-year-old said, gesturing across his art-filled living room in Yorba Linda. “In that Persian tapestry on the wall, the flowers are flowing like the wind, back and forth, and the centerpieces of the horses and other animals, they’re stagnant still but I can feel them kind of moving, almost like a gallop.” A.J. — who requested anonymity to discuss his drug use and medical history — was on no other mind-altering substances beyond the caffeine in his mug. The fantastical visions, which he’s come to expect and in some ways even enjoy, were a lingering effect of past drug use. They’re a manifestation of a rare condition called hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, or HPPD, which has puzzled psychiatrists and researchers and raised alarms as psychedelic drugs have become more mainstream for both therapeutic and recreational …

Psychedelic church tries to hash out plan for 420 celebration

Psychedelic church tries to hash out plan for 420 celebration

Published by skeptic

Budget cuts and financial woes forced San Francisco to cancel its annual 420 celebration at Golden Gate Park this year, but a self-described psychedelic church says it will step in to help support the thousands of people expected to still make the “religious pilgrimage.” “Anybody who is going out to Hippie Hill on 420 to smoke a joint, they’re doing that religiously, whether or not they realize it,” said Church of Ambrosia Pastor Dave Hodges in a statement. “This is like a pilgrimage to Mecca.” An annual hazy, smoke-filled celebration that goes back to San Francisco’s Summer of Love in 1967, the cannabis-themed festival drew in thousands of people for music, food, comedy and, of course, weed. In 2022, the event attracted about 20,000 people. But on March 26, the city announced the event at Golden Gate Park was canceled because of budget cuts that prevented the city’s parks department from covering staffing for the event, and challenges in the cannabis industry that made sponsorships hard to secure. Despite the cancellation, many people were still …

Eyes wide shut: Why psychedelic trips intensify with eyes closed

Eyes wide shut: Why psychedelic trips intensify with eyes closed

Published by skeptic

You’ve likely heard the phrase “set and setting” when it comes to psychedelics: The quality of a trip depends on the mindset you have and the environment you’re in when you kick off a trip. But while it’s a common claim, there hasn’t been much research on the effects of set and setting on the psychedelic experience.  To bridge that gap, a recent study systematically examined these kinds of effects, including those that result from keeping your eyes open or closed during an LSD experience. The results found that participants who kept their eyes closed tended to experience “stronger” trips, as evidenced by self-reported data and increased correlations with brain entropy, which refers to the heightened complexity and randomness in brain activity.  On a broader note, this study was the first quantitative analysis to find that the effect of setting in psychedelic experience can be directly gathered from physiological measurements. Another key finding? Visual stimuli, like watching videos, seem to distract the brain from an otherwise rich experience facilitated by closing one’s eyes.  Visuals or …

When a Modern Psychedelic Meets an Ancient Ritual of Grief

When a Modern Psychedelic Meets an Ancient Ritual of Grief

Published by skeptic

One rainy Sunday in December I hosted thirteen diverse strangers with two things in common: Judaism and grief. The former inspired me to look to an ancient religious tradition and the latter drove me to pursue a novel pharmacological treatment. Each participant ingested 120 milligrams of MDMA and, together, we sat shiva and mourned. This was not a traditional shiva in many ways. We were not mourning a singular person but rather a state of a people. Each participant came with their own sense of loss: loss of a sense of safety, loss of friendships, loss of a worldview. Together, we learned that one participant was mourning the loss of her cousin’s freedom and safety since he had been taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th. I was inspired to host this event because of the work of Charley Wininger, a psychotherapist and author of Listening to Ecstasy. According to his account, with the assistance of MDMA and group support, his wife and former nurse, Shelley Wininger, was able to process the grief of her …

Psychedelic use appears to lead to lasting improvements in sexual functioning and satisfaction

Psychedelic use appears to lead to lasting improvements in sexual functioning and satisfaction

Published by José

In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers have provided insight into the potential benefits of psychedelics like magic mushrooms and LSD in enhancing sexual function. Participants reported improvements in various aspects of their sexual well-being lasting several weeks post-experience, suggesting these drugs could offer more than just a mind-altering trip. Psychedelics gained prominence in the mid-20th century for their potential in treating mood disorders and addiction. However, their association with the counterculture movements of the 1960s and subsequent regulatory crackdowns halted scientific research for decades. In recent years, the resurgence of interest in psychedelics has been bolstered by clinical trials suggesting their efficacy in mental health interventions, particularly for conditions like major depressive disorder (MDD). Sexual dysfunction is a prevalent issue, especially among individuals with MDD, a leading cause of disability worldwide. Traditional antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), often exacerbate sexual dysfunction, leading to decreased treatment adherence and potential relapse of depressive episodes. Given this backdrop, researchers at Imperial College London sought to fill a significant gap in the existing …

Why Psychedelic Therapy Needs Specially Trained Therapists

Why Psychedelic Therapy Needs Specially Trained Therapists

Published by skeptic

By Norma Mancini Stevens The use of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is gaining momentum, with 2024 potentially a transformative year: MDMA could be approved for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as early as August, and forms of both LSD and psilocybin have been designated “breakthrough therapy” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As these therapies approach the market, there is an urgency to train therapists to meet the anticipated demand and ensure patients receive safe and effective treatment. As a therapist long specializing in trauma and Internal Family Systems (IFS), I wanted to explore whether PAT would help some patients move beyond seemingly intractable issues. I trained to become a therapist in psychedelic medicine. Five years later, the move has proven to be highly rewarding, and I’ve learned much about preparing therapists for this emerging field. Becoming a PAT therapist In psychedelic medicine, the opportunities to help patients heal are tremendous, but they come with very particular challenges and risks for which clinicians must be prepared. PAT differs from traditional approaches, and it is …