Suchttherapie
August 1, 2026
Yann David Kippe, C. Poppe, Dimitris Repantis et al.
Zusammenfassung Klassische Halluzinogene („Psychedelika“) wie Lysergsäurediethylamid (LSD), Psilocybin, N,N-Dimethyltryptamin (DMT) und 5-Methoxydimethyltryptamin (5-MeO-DMT) werden zurzeit wieder als potenzielle Behandlungsoptionen bei Substanzgebrauchsstörungen untersucht. Psychedelika entfalten ihre Wirkung über eine Aktivierung von serotonergen 5HT-2a Rezeptoren im zentralen Nervensystem,...
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
May 27, 2026
Lea J. Mertens, Felix Betzler, Manuela Brand et al.
Psilocybin shows promise for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but long-term data are limited. This study examined the antidepressant effect of one or two psilocybin doses with adjunct psychotherapy in TRD until twelve months. This is a naturalistic follow-up of a phase 2b, randomized, active placebo-controlled trial, where participants were randomized to receive two drug administrations...
medRxiv Preprint Server
May 23, 2026
Lisa Maria Jöbstl, Bente Lubahn, Ebru Kaya et al.
preprint
Background While growing enthusiasm for the therapeutic potential of classic psychedelics has led to a rise in non-clinical use, attention to persisting adverse effects has emerged with delay. A subset of individuals reports persisting complications such as hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD), depersonalization/derealization disorder (DDD), anxiety and depression. Yet few medical...
JAMA Psychiatry
March 18, 2026
Lea J. Mertens, Michael Koslowski, Felix Betzler et al.
9 citations
Importance: Psilocybin shows promise in treating depression, although limitations of previous research warrant further research. Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of oral psilocybin, 25 mg, with adjunct psychotherapy in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a 2-center, triple-blinded (investigator, participant, rater), phase 2b, active...
Nervenheilkunde
February 1, 2026
Dimitris Repantis, Michael Koslowski, Felix Betzler et al.
Zusammenfassung Psychedelika wie Psilocybin und LSD durchlaufen eine bemerkenswerte Geschichte, die von frühen psychiatrischen Anwendungen über den Freizeitgebrauch und die Prohibition in den 70er Jahre bis zur aktuellen Wiederentdeckung in klinischen Studien reicht. MDMA wird seit etwa 15 Jahren für die Behandlung der posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung evaluiert. In der Behandlung werden...
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
2026
Anna-Lena Bröcker, Tomislav Majić, Christiane Montag
2 citations
Psychotic symptoms are uncommon and non-specific adverse effects of classic (serotonergic) psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and mescaline. They can emerge during the acute phase of psychedelic drug effects, persist into the subacute ("afterglow") period, or, in rare cases, develop into long-term psychotic illness. Across all three scenarios, the symptoms can be...
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
2026
Tomislav Majić, Euphrosyne Gouzoulis‐mayfrank, Ricarda Evens
2 citations
Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) have shown promising effects in the treatment of certain mental health conditions. Enthusiastic claims about their therapeutic potential have led to overly optimistic reactions in the media and the public, subsequently resulting in increased use outside of clinical contexts...
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
2026
Marija Franka Žuljević, Tomislav Majić
1 citation
Among the complications associated with the use of classic psychedelics, flashbacks, hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) and reactivations are most specifically linked to their use. These three phenomena share the occurrence of perceptual disturbances resembling those experienced under the acute effects of psychedelics, but HPPD differs from flashbacks and reactivations due to...
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
2026
Ricarda Evens, Abdo Uyar, Tomislav Majić
The subacute period following the use of classic psychedelics is often marked by an "afterglow" - a state characterized by elevated mood; enhanced psychological well-being; increased emotional openness toward self, others, and nature; and sometimes a heightened sense of clarity and existential meaning. From a neurobiological perspective, subacute psychedelic states have been associated with...
SUCHT - Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis / Journal of Addiction Research and Practice
December 1, 2025
Dario Jalilzadeh Masah, Derin Marbin, Tomislav Majić
1 citation
Abstract: Aims: Symptoms of depersonalization (DP) and derealization (DR) are commonly reported during the acute effects of classic psychedelics. In some individuals, these symptoms persist, resulting in depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD), associated with distress and help-seeking behavior. This case series seeks to underscore some of the diagnostic challenges and treatment...
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
April 2, 2025
Simon Reiche, Tim Hirschfeld, Anna Lena Gröticke et al.
5 citations
Evidence on the neuropsychological consequences of classic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca is conflicting, and little is known about how sporadic use of psychedelics under naturalistic conditions may affect cognitive functioning. Given the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and the rise in non-medical use, further exploration into their...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 31, 2025
Tomislav Majić, Timo Torsten Schmidt, Anna Gröticke et al.
4 citations
Background: Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide are anecdotally associated with the phenomenon of “psychedelic afterglow,” a set of predominantly pleasant, temporary psychological effects reported after the acute effects have subsided. Since post-acute effects are crucial for the therapeutic use of psychedelics, an instrument to systematically assess subacute...
Psychiatr Res Clin Pract
February 11, 2025
Jules Evans, Marc Aixalà, Brian T Anderson et al.
18 citations
Objective: This article outlines recommendations from 30 psychedelic researchers on how to create a better psychedelic safety net. Methods: A survey of 30 psychedelic researchers asked them to identify key critical research gaps around psychedelic harm and safety. Results: The critical research gaps identified by the authors included defining the main types of psychedelic harm, the predictors...
Scientific Reports
December 31, 2024
Georg Leistenschneider, Tomislav Majić, Simon Reiche et al.
3 citations
Abstract Classic psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin are showing promising effects in treating certain psychiatric disorders. Despite their low toxicity and lack of an addictive potential, in some individuals, psychedelics can be associated with persisting psychological harms. Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) is one of those complications, a rare disorder characterized by...
Scientific Reports
June 26, 2024
Lukas A Basedow, Tomislav Majić, Nicklas Jakob Hafiz et al.
13 citations
Classic psychedelics and MDMA have a colorful history of recreational use, and both have recently been re-evaluated as tools for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Several studies have been carried out to assess potential long-term effects of a regular use on cognition, delivering distinct results for psychedelics and MDMA. However, to date knowledge is scarce on cognitive performance...
Nervenheilkunde
June 1, 2024
Ricarda Evens, Tomislav Majić
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Klassische Psychedelika wie Psilocybin oder Lysergsäurediethylamid (LSD) werden seit einigen Jahren wieder als Mittel für die Behandlung psychiatrischer Störungen untersucht. Nach dem Abklingen der akuten psychedelischen Effekte werden typischerweise postakute Effekte beobachtet, die eine entscheidende Rolle für den Einsatz dieser Substanzen als mögliche Therapeutika spielen und...
Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie
April 1, 2024
Stefan Borgwardt, Tomislav Majić, Mihai Avram et al.
Klassische Psychedelika wie Psilocybin, Lysergsäurediethylamid (LSD), Ayahuasca oder 5-Methoxy-Dimethyltryptamin (5-MeO-DMT) stehen wieder vermehrt im Fokus des psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutischen und neurowissenschaftlichen Interesses. Dies ist vor allem auf aktuelle klinische Studien zurückzuführen, die einen möglichen therapeutischen Nutzen von Psychedelika in der Behandlung verschiedener...
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
October 1, 2023
Tim Hirschfeld, Johanna Prugger, Tomislav Majić et al.
24 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent classic serotonergic psychedelic, which facilitates a variety of altered states of consciousness. Here we present the first meta-analysis establishing dose-response relationship estimates of the altered states of consciousness induced by LSD. Data extracted from articles identified by a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines were...
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
2023
Ricarda Evens, Tomislav Majić, Timo Torsten Schmidt et al.
49 citations
Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics have anecdotally been reported to show a characteristic pattern of subacute effects that persist after the acute effects of the substance have subsided. These transient effects, sometimes labeled as the ‘psychedelic afterglow’, have been suggested to be associated with enhanced effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the subacute period....
The International journal on drug policy
April 1, 2022
Antonia Bendau, Leonard Viohl, Moritz Bruno Petzold et al.
The COVID-19 pandemic is presumably having an impact on the consumption of psychoactive substances. Social distancing and lockdown measures may particularly affect the use of "party drugs" (e.g., stimulants, dissociatives, and GHB/GBL) through the absence of typical use settings. We aimed to analyse the use patterns of those substances and underlying motivations before and during the pandemic....
Neuroscience Applied
2022
Lea J. Mertens, Michael Koslowski, Felix Betzler et al.
40 citations
Psychedelics such as psilocybin have recently gained remarkable interest in both the specialist literature and the lay press because studies suggest that these substances may have great therapeutic potential in various psychiatric disorders, including major depression. However, clinical trials with psychedelic drugs pose particular methodological challenges to researchers, some of which differ...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 25, 2021
Tomislav Majić, Lasse Brandt, Christiane Montag
3 citations
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA/"ecstasy") is widespread in the electronic club scene, but MDMA has also been suggested for the treatment of anxiety spectrum disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety in autistic adults. Here, we report a case of a high functioning 24-old student with a sporadic recreational use of ecstasy, and a history of a single episode...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 4, 2021
Ricarda Evens, Simon Reiche, Roman M. Marek et al.
16 citations
Introduction: The current corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a serious global health crisis that has affected large parts of the public and private life worldwide, including the use of psychoactive substances. In this study, we investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of serotonergic psychedelics, i.e., the settings in which people use psychedelics, the...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
September 16, 2021
Lukas A Basedow, Thomas Riemer, Simon Reiche et al.
16 citations
Background: Serotonergic psychedelics (SPs) like LSD, psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline are a heterogeneous group of substances that share agonism at 5-HT 2a receptors. Besides the ability of these substances to facilitate profoundly altered states of consciousness, persisting psychological effects have been reported after single administrations, which outlast the acute psychedelic effects. In...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 4, 2021
Tomislav Majić, Meike Sauter, Felix Bermpohl et al.
14 citations
Background/aim: Kambô is a name for the secretion of the Giant Maki Frog ( Phyllomedusa bicolor), which has been used by indigenous cultures from the Amazonas basin and has recently become popular in alternative healing circles in Western countries, with a certain overlap with psychedelic self-exploration. Methods: We carried out an online-based survey in English (54.92%) and German...