International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
May 29, 2022
Ahmed Al-Imam, Marek A Motyka, Zuzanna Witulska et al.
7 citations
Psychedelics induce altered consciousness via the 5-HT2A receptor. Online searches in Poland for twenty psychedelics from 2017 to 2022 were analyzed using Google Trends data. Holt–Winters exponential smoothing revealed that twelve (60%) of the substances had significant seasonal patterns: psilocybin and ayahuasca showed annual seasonality, four substances (LSD, AL-LAD, DXM, DOB) had half-yearly seasonality, and six (cannabis, dronabinol, ergine, NBOMe, phencyclidine, salvinorin A) followed a quarterly pattern. The pandemic led to a significant positive change in search trends for psilocybin, ergine, and DXM. These spatiotemporal patterns may aid health authorities in monitoring and preventing addictions.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
June 2, 2023
Ahmed Al-Imam, Marek A Motyka, Beata Hoffmann et al.
6 citations
Online searches for DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and the Colorado River toad increased significantly from 2012 to 2022, with the strongest upward trend for 5-MeO-DMT. Geographic interest in DMT was highest in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Far East Asia; 5-MeO-DMT searches prevailed in Western Europe, Indo-China, and Australasia; and toad-related searches originated from the Americas, Australia, India, the Philippines, and Europe. The literature review covers DMT's shamanic history, present-day illicit use, and experimental trials for neurotic disorders, suggesting potential medical uses if legal status changes.
UR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
January 1, 2022
Marek A Motyka
4 citations
Psychoactive plants and toxic animal secretions were used by many ancient communities worldwide, fostering social integration and survival. Their use generated myths, cults, and attributed properties that left lasting traces in both non-material and material culture. This article surveys representations of these substances in ancient beliefs, myths, rock art, and sepulchral art, and discusses reasons for their ritual use. It also explains the main causes for the diffusion of psychoactive plant use from the sacred to the profane sphere.
Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ
March 5, 2024
Ahmed Al-Imam, Marek A Motyka, Michal Michalak
2 citations
Among 739 medical students surveyed in Poland and Iraq, Polish students reported much higher psychedelic use (21.6%) than Iraqi students (1.2%). Factors associated with increased use included lacking a committed religious belief system, perceiving low risk from sporadic use, residing in Poland, positive attitudes toward psychedelics, frequent social nightlife, male gender, and cigarette smoking. The findings suggest that cultural, religious, and social factors strongly influence psychedelic awareness and use, highlighting the need for culturally sensitive prevention efforts.
Drug safety
May 1, 2025
Ahmed Al-Imam, Riccardo Lora, Marek A Motyka et al.
1 citation
Natural language processing of 2188 user reports from the Erowid forum reveals distinct emotional and thematic patterns in experiences with psilocybin mushrooms versus LSD. The BERT model classified most experiences as negative, especially for psilocybin mushrooms, while VADER indicated more positive experiences for mushroom users. RoBERTa, which achieved the highest accuracy, predominantly classified experiences as negative or neutral. Lexicon analysis showed psilocybin reports emphasize introspection and time dilation, whereas LSD reports highlight memory issues and cognitive disorientation. These analyses can inform harm reduction and policy-making.