Med (New York, N.Y.)
March 8, 2024
Joshua D. Rosenblat, Shakila Meshkat, Zoe Doyle et al.
97 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is feasible for patients with complex, treatment-resistant depression, including those with bipolar II disorder and baseline suicidality. In a randomized trial with 30 adults, those receiving immediate PAP showed greater reductions in depression severity (MADRS) compared to a waitlist control, with a large effect size (Hedge's g = 1.07). Adverse events were transient and no serious adverse events occurred. Repeated doses over six months were associated with further improvement. The findings suggest PAP can be safely delivered to this population and warrants further study.
Journal of Religion and Health
January 29, 2014
Marc G Blainey
44 citations
The Santo Daime religion, which uses a psychoactive beverage called ayahuasca as a sacrament, has spread from Brazil to Europe and North America. Most Western governments treat ayahuasca as a dangerous hallucinogen and prosecute participants, while members consider it a medicinal sacrament or entheogen. Empirical studies support the claim that entheogens can be safe and beneficial when used in controlled settings. Drawing on anthropology's aim to make different cultural perspectives understandable to one another, this article addresses the misunderstanding between prohibition policies and the emerging subculture of entheogenic therapy.
Nature Medicine
June 3, 2025
Chloé Pronovost-Morgan, Kyle T. Greenway, Leor Roseman et al.
26 citations
A Delphi consensus study with 89 experts from 17 countries identified 30 extra-pharmacological variables that are important or very important for reporting the setting in psychedelic clinical trials. These variables, forming the ReSPCT guidelines, cover physical environment, dosing session procedure, therapeutic framework and protocol, and subjective experiences. The findings reveal significant ambiguities in current conceptualizations of set and setting. The guidelines provide a new standard for designing and documenting contextual factors in psychedelic research.
Psychedelic Medicine
November 18, 2024
Shakila Meshkat, Erica Kaczmarek, Zoe Doyle et al.
8 citations
In a small subgroup analysis of four adults with treatment-resistant depression associated with bipolar II disorder, two 25 mg doses of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy were associated with reductions in depressive symptoms. The average depression score on the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale dropped from 32.5 at baseline to 20.3 two weeks after the first dose, and to 19 two weeks after the second dose; at six months the average score was 21.3. Mania ratings remained stable, and no mania, hypomania, or psychosis occurred. The authors suggest psilocybin may improve depressive symptoms in bipolar II disorder but call for larger studies to confirm the findings.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
July 1, 2025
Ryan M Brudner, Erica Kaczmarek, Marc G Blainey et al.
3 citations
In a small sample of 31 individuals with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder or bipolar II disorder, those who reported more intense mystical experiences after their first dose of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy showed greater reductions in depressive symptoms two weeks later. This link between mystical experiences and antidepressant benefit was not observed after the second or third psilocybin doses. The findings offer preliminary support for the idea that mystical-type experiences play a therapeutic role in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, extending prior work to a clinically complex population with treatment-resistant depression.
June 16, 2025
Marc G Blainey
1 citation
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, shows promise in enhancing psychological well-being. In a study involving 400 participants, 70% reported significant reductions in anxiety and depression after ayahuasca ceremonies. The blend of spiritual care and psychedelic experience appears to foster profound emotional insights. Psychotherapists are increasingly intrigued by its potential as an adjunct to conventional therapies. Biochemical analysis indicates that ayahuasca may influence neurochemical pathways, suggesting its role in mental health could be rooted in both traditional medicine and modern drug studies.
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
March 25, 2025
Noah Chisamore, Erica Kaczmarek, Zoe Doyle et al.
1 citation
A single 25 mg dose of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy produced clinically significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and suicidality symptoms over two months in people with treatment-resistant depression. Among 27 participants, those who tapered off antidepressant medications before treatment (n = 18) and those not on antidepressants at screening (n = 9) showed comparable improvements, with no significant differences between groups on clinician-rated depression, self-reported depression, anxiety, or suicidality. The intensity of the psychedelic experience was also similar. These results suggest that tapering antidepressants before psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may not diminish therapeutic benefits, though further research is needed.
Journal of Affective Disorders
February 12, 2026
Erica Kaczmarek, Nelson Rodriguez, Noah Chisamore et al.
Anhedonia, a core symptom of depression that often resists standard treatments, may be reduced by psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP). In a secondary analysis of a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial, 30 adults with treatment-resistant depression (major depressive disorder or bipolar II disorder) received one 25 mg dose of oral psilocybin plus psychotherapy. Anhedonia severity, measured by the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, decreased significantly at the 2-week primary endpoint, with clinically meaningful improvements persisting at 3 and 6 months. The analysis adjusted for sex and age. These preliminary results suggest PAP could be a promising intervention for anhedonia in treatment-resistant depression, though larger placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm the findings and clarify underlying mechanisms.
Anthropology of Consciousness
September 1, 2010
Marc G Blainey
Anthropological research on consciousness, particularly that published in the journal Anthropology of Consciousness, has had limited impact on mainstream anthropology partly because contributors often overlook the discipline's historical roots. The subfield of ethnometaphysics, coined by anthropologist A. Irving Hallowell, never gained traction like ethnobotany or ethnomusicology. By revisiting ethnometaphysics and using the example of Western debates over whether to call psychoactive substances hallucinogens or entheogens, the author argues that the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness can reframe its alternative perspective as less radical, thereby increasing its chances of influencing mainstream anthropology.