Psilocybin and Mental Health–Don’t Lose Control (Opinion) Joseph M. Barnby and Mitul A. Mehta Frontiers in Psychiatry, published: 03 July 2018 | Volume 9 | Article 293 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00293 Keywords : psychedelics, psilocybin, depression, clinical trials, methodology Psilocybin—the hallucinogenic pro-drug in magic mushrooms—has recently dominated the popular narrative on new approaches to treating depression. For example, recent papers from John’s Hopkins (1) and Imperial College (2, 3) demonstrate the potential for psilocybin to promote positive lifestyle changes, and as an intervention for treatment-resistant depression, respectively. They also provide an opportunity to highlight two recurrent issues with psychedelic research which we place in the context of more [...]
Lire la suiteAyahuasca and the Healing of Eating Disorders Marika Renelli, Jenna Fletcher, Anja Loizaga-Velder, Natasha Files, Kenneth Tupper and Adele Lafrance Jul 2018 Chapter in "Embodiment and Eating Disorders" Eating disorders (EDs) are complex mental health issues that involve cognitive, physical and emotional symptoms (Golden et al., 2003; Polivy & Herman, 2002). It is widely accepted that the avoidance of challenging emotions is central to the development and maintenance of an ED (Harrison, Sullivan, Tchanturia, & Treasure, 2009). Many have theorized that an individual’s focus on and negative view of body image, along with attempts to change their body are more strongly related to the embodiment [...]
Lire la suite5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety Alan K. Davis PhD, Sara So MS, Rafael Lancelotta MS, Joseph P. Barsuglia PhD, Roland R. Griffiths PhD The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 2018 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2018.1545024 Abstract Background : A recent epidemiological study suggested that 5-methoxy-N,Ndimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used for spiritual and recreational reasons is associated with subjective improvement in depression and anxiety. Further exploration of the potential psychotherapeutic effects of 5-MeO-DMT could inform future clinical trials. Objectives : We examined self-reported improvement in depression and anxiety among people who use 5-MeODMT in a group setting with [...]
Lire la suiteNeural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuro-imagerie Robin L. Carhart-Harris, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Leor Roseman, Mendel Kaelen, Wouter Droog, Kevin Murphy, Enzo Tagliazucchi, Eduardo E. Schenberg, Timothy Nest, Csaba Orban, Robert Leech, Luke T. Williams, Tim M. Williams, Mark Bolstridge, Ben Sessa, John McGonigle, Martin I. Sereno, David Nichols, Peter J. Hellyer, Peter Hobden, John Evans, Krish D. Singh, Richard G. Wise, H. Valerie Curran, Amanda Feilding, and David J. Nutt PNAS (Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of the USA), 2016, 113, 17, 4853-4858 www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1518377113 Abstract Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is the prototypical psychedelic drug, but its effects on the human [...]
Lire la suiteFor the First Time, Scientists Have Imaged the Brain on LSD The scientists hope their long-awaited study on LSD in humans will open the floodgates to further research into psychedelics. Victoria TURK, April 11, 2016 https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bmvm3w/for-the-first-time-scientists-have-imaged-the-brain-on-lsd Researcher, drug policy reformer, and Countess of Wemyss Amanda Feilding made a promise to Albert Hofmann, the "father of LSD," after meeting him in the 90s: She would carry out scientific research with his "problem child" on human subjects by his 100th birthday in 2006. A study published on Monday makes good on that vow, albeit ten years late: For the first time, researchers have imaged the human brain [...]
Lire la suiteLSD Brings Your Brain to the Edge of Chaos This new LSD study is like an acid trip all on its own. This story was first published by Tonic, VICE's health site. You can now find the same great health content right here at vice.com. One Saturday in 1964, neurologist Oliver Sacks took a bit of amphetamines, LSD, a “touch” of cannabis, faced a white wall in his home, and said “I want to see indigo now—now!” “And then,” he wrote in the New Yorker in 2012, “as if thrown by a giant paintbrush, there appeared a huge, trembling, pear-shaped blob of the [...]
Lire la suiteLSD Changes Something About The Way You Perceive Time We measure time in set amounts— seconds, minutes, and hours. But the way time feels is more slippery. Shayla Love, December 3, 2018, Grotmarsel/ Getty This story was first published by Tonic, VICE's health site. You can now find the same great health content right here at vice.com. In 2015, when cognitive neuroscientist Devin Terhune was hit by a car, the impact took less than a second, but he felt it to be much longer. “I was riding [my bike] very fast, and so when I hit the car I went flying back around 15 feet or more,” he [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic therapy as a complementary treatment approach for alcohol use disorders Peter EISCHENS and William Leigh ATHERTON Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2018, 2, (1), pp. 36–44 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.005 Background : Traditional treatment interventions for alcohol use disorders (AUD) have produced mixed outcomes and the global increase in AUDs demands novel and innovative approaches to addiction treatment. Psychedelic substances have been reintroduced into the Western medical community as a potential intervention to complement the treatment of AUDs. Objectives : This paper will discuss the implications of using psychedelic substances as a complementary approach within the treatment of AUDs. Methods : A thorough review of pertinent research focused [...]
Lire la suiteThe Ethics of Taking the Drugs You Study Should psychedelic scientists trip on the drugs they research? Shayla LOVE VICE.com, May 14 2019 From 1960 to 1962, the Harvard Psilocybin Project conducted unconventional experiments, like giving psilocybin to prison inmates to see if it would reduce recidivism, or doling it out to theology students to provoke a religious experience. Led by Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, their goal was to test the potential applications of the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Leary was a clinical psychologist and professor at Harvard. After taking mushrooms in 1960, he “declared that he learned more in the following five [...]
Lire la suiteMental health of a self-selected sample of psychedelic users and self-medication practices with psychedelics Natasha L. MASON and Kim P. C. KUYPERS Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2018, 2, (1), pp. 45–52 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.006 Background : A substantial number of people worldwide suffer from mental health problems during their lifetime. First-line treatments are not effective for everybody. Recent studies suggest that psychedelic drugs have high therapeutic potential for a variety of mental disorders. Aims : This survey study aimed to assess the tendency of psychedelic users to self-medicate with psychedelics and to compare the effectiveness of self-administered psychedelics to treat their disorder and the treatment offered [...]
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