Psychopharmacology
July 14, 2026
Helena Aicher, Joëlle Dornbierer, Luzia Caflisch et al.
Negative self-referential emotions such as embarrassment and shame play a key role in the psychopathology of psychiatric disorders but are often insufficiently addressed by standard treatments. Psychedelics such as ayahuasca - an Amazonian plant decoction containing the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala alkaloids, have been proposed to positively modulate self-referential...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
December 9, 2025
Maria Niedernhuber, Dila Suay, Michael J Mueller et al.
1 citation
Abstract Classic serotonergic psychedelics are potent modulators of conscious awareness, yet the principles governing their effects on the temporal dynamics of brain activity remain unclear. Dominant theories propose that psychedelics increase the signal diversity and metastability of neural states, but whether this reflects a simple randomization of activity or a more structured reorganization...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
August 16, 2025
Dila Suay, Helena Aicher, Berit Singer et al.
While psychedelics are often claimed to enhance creativity, their precise effects on distinct stages of creative cognition remain poorly understood. This study investigated the acute effects of an ayahuasca-inspired formulation combining N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine (DMT/HAR), as well as harmine alone (HAR), on micro-level (divergent/convergent thinking) and macro-level (creative...
Universität Zürich, ZORA
August 16, 2025
Dila Suay, Helena Dorothea Aicher, Berit Singer et al.
Background: While psychedelics are often claimed to enhance creativity, their precise effects on distinct stages of creative cognition remain poorly understood. This study investigated the acute effects of an ayahuasca-inspired formulation combining N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine (DMT/HAR), as well as harmine alone (HAR), on micro-level (divergent/convergent thinking) and macro-level...
Neuroimage
June 1, 2025
Dila Suay, Helena Aicher, Micheal Kometer et al.
4 citations
Psychedelics are known to profoundly alter perception and self-referential processing, yet their specific effects on face recognition -particularly with regard to the recognition of face familiarity-remain underexplored. This study investigates the effects of an ayahuasca-inspired novel DMT/HAR (N,N-dimethyltryptamine/Harmine) formulation and Harmine alone on face recognition and...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
December 28, 2024
Michael J Mueller, Helena Aicher, Dario Dornbierer et al.
10 citations
Recent interest in the clinical use of psychedelics has highlighted plant-derived medicines like ayahuasca showing rapid-acting and sustainable therapeutic effects in various psychiatric conditions. This traditional Amazonian plant decoction contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and β-carboline alkaloids such as harmine. However, its use is often accompanied by distressing effects like nausea,...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2023
Helena Aicher, Michael J Mueller, Dario Dornbierer et al.
34 citations
There is growing scientific evidence for the therapeutic benefits of the Amazonian plant-based psychedelic "ayahuasca" for neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. However, there are certain challenges when incorporating botanical ayahuasca into biomedical research and clinical therapy environments. Formulations inspired by ayahuasca, which contain specific and standardized...