Neuroethics
May 13, 2026
Christina Chwyl, Alissa Bazinet, Adrianne R Wilson-Poe et al.
Informed consent in psychedelic-assisted services is ethically complex and lacks standardization. Expert recommendations from 36 participants (71% white, 53% female, average 15.2 years of experience in clinical trial, underground, or ceremonial settings) emphasized that consent should be an ongoing process built on a strong therapeutic relationship and client empowerment. Comprehensive disclosure of risks and benefits is needed, including long-term psychological and social changes and the possibility of disappointing experiences. Detailed consent around touch and boundaries is crucial, with explicit boundary-setting before administration and attention to non-verbal cues. Provider training should cultivate deep respect for client agency and experiential learning of relational and boundary skills.
March 11, 2026
Jason B. Luoma, Kim Hoffman, Adie Wilson-Poe et al.
preprint
Oregon's early psilocybin facilitator workforce is relatively diverse, with many holding existing healthcare licenses, though training expenses pose a moderate-to-severe financial strain for most. The mean tuition across 16 active training programs was $9,359, half offered diversity scholarships, and the mean planned session price was $1,388. Facilitators most commonly specialized in trauma, mental disorders, consciousness exploration, and spirituality, and most were satisfied with training while requesting ongoing opportunities. These findings inform future policy and program development for a diverse and effective workforce.
BMC Psychology
January 21, 2026
Christina Chwyl, Angelica Spata, Will Lucas et al.
Psychological context, or 'set,' is more strongly linked to the outcomes of psychedelic experiences than the specific substance used, suggesting a 'mindset-over-molecule' pattern. The findings indicate that the mental state and expectations of the user play a more influential role than the chemical properties of the drug alone.
PsyArXiv
January 10, 2026
Jason B. Luoma, Jenna Lejeune, Brian Pilecki et al.
preprint
Touch can be a valuable therapeutic tool in psychedelic- and MDMA-assisted therapy, but its use requires careful guidelines to ensure safety and efficacy. This paper presents a model for practitioners and researchers outlining practical recommendations for supportive touch, emphasizing consent, attunement, and clear boundaries. The guidelines address when and how to use touch, such as during moments of distress or to ground a client, while minimizing risks of re-traumatization or boundary violations. The model aims to standardize practices, support training, and inform future research on touch in these therapies.
Open Science Framework
January 1, 2026
Christina Chwyl, M. Kati Lear, Sunjeev K. Kamboj et al.
Self-compassion is thought to be important for mental health, especially for people with social anxiety disorder. MDMA-assisted therapy may work by increasing self-compassion. This study will examine whether trait self-compassion rises during treatment and whether self-compassion felt during MDMA dosing sessions leads to lasting changes. It will also test if changes in self-compassion relate to improvements in social anxiety, depression, shame, functioning, and belonging. Five specific aims are outlined to explore these relationships across two dosing sessions.
Research Square
September 12, 2025
Christina Chwyl, Angelica Spata, Will Lucas et al.
Psilocybin and MDMA produce greater self-transcendent and mystical experiences than cannabis, even after accounting for contextual factors like personality and motivations, but the substance effects are small. Psychological factors—especially surrendering to the experience and having spiritual or prosocial motivations—are much stronger predictors, accounting for up to 58% of the variance in these experiences, compared to 10% or less for the substance alone. The findings suggest that mindset matters more than the specific molecule for producing self-transcendent and mystical experiences.
September 7, 2025
Mathew Herbert, Brian H. Blanco, Dimitri Perivoliotis et al.
preprint
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating PTSD, but the FDA rejected its current form due to concerns about standardization and empirical grounding of the psychotherapy methods. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy, is proposed as a well-suited alternative to pair with MDMA. The subjective effects of MDMA directly support key ACT processes; ACT methods could prepare patients for MDMA administration, guide therapists during sessions, and help integrate MDMA experiences to improve functioning and quality of life. ACT offers a scalable, structured yet flexible framework for a new PTSD treatment approach.
Jason B. Luoma, M. Kati Lear, Kyong Yi et al.
preprint
A man in his late 30s with generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD) received MDMA-assisted therapy that included imaginal exposure to shame-related memories and in vivo social exposures during drug sessions, plus imagery rescripting and social activation homework. His symptoms and functional impairment, measured by the Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale and Sheehan Disability Scale, showed significant reduction. He reported increased social engagement, less anxiety in social situations, and more self-compassion. The participant found exposures during MDMA sessions particularly impactful, allowing access to intrinsic desires for social connection. The authors suggest MDMA-assisted therapy with exposure techniques may be a promising treatment for SAD, warranting further research.