Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 26, 2026
Malin V. Uthaug, Jack G. Allocca, Martha N. Havenith et al.
Abstract Background The Pivotal Mental States (PiMS) construct posits that psychedelics and other stress-inducing practices, such as fasting and hypoxia, can evoke transformative mental states through increased serotonin receptor activation in the brain. These states are associated with enhanced cognitive flexibility, accelerated associative learning, and psychological insights that may...
Commun Psychol
April 13, 2025
Martha N. Havenith, Max Leidenberger, Jelena Brasanac et al.
14 citations
Abstract Altered states of consciousness (ASCs), induced e.g. during psychedelic-assisted therapy, show potential to treat prevalent mental health disorders like depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, access to such treatments is restricted by legal, medical, and financial barriers. Circular breathwork may present a non-pharmacological and hence more accessible alternative to...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
2025
Paula Aarseth Tunstad, Tor-Morten Kvam, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
2 citations
Interest in the therapeutic effects of classical psychedelics has risen recently. However, little epidemiological knowledge exists about the use of classical psychedelics in Scandinavian countries. Additionally, there is a limited understanding of what factors drive self-reported improvement in wellbeing. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of classical...
Research Square
February 22, 2024
Martha N. Havenith, Max Leidenberger, Jelena Brasanac et al.
3 citations
Abstract Altered states of consciousness (ASCs), induced e.g. by psychedelics, show great potential to treat widespread mental health disorders like depression and PTSD. However, access to such treatments is restricted by legal, medical, and financial barriers. Here, we explore the potential of circular breathwork to serve as an accessible, non-pharmacological alternative to engage similar...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
2024
Lisa Luan, Emma Eckernäs, Michael Ashton et al.
41 citations
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a serotonergic psychedelic that induces a rapid and transient altered state of consciousness when inhaled or injected via bolus administration. Its marked and novel subjective effects make DMT a powerful tool for the neuroscientific study of consciousness and preliminary results show its potential role in treating mental health conditions. In a within-subjects,...
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
December 1, 2023
Guy W. Fincham, Amy Kartar, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
41 citations
High Ventilation Breathwork (HVB) refers to practices employing specific volitional manipulation of breathing, with a long history of use to relieve various forms of psychological distress. This paper seeks to offer a consolidative insight into potential clinical application of HVB as a treatment of psychiatric disorders. We thus review the characteristic phenomenological and neurophysiological...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 13, 2023
Tor-Morten Kvam, Malin V. Uthaug, Kristoffer A A Andersen et al.
21 citations
Objective In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in investigating the use of classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders. However, knowledge about the epidemiology of classic psychedelics in the Nordic countries is limited. Methods We recruited adult, Norwegian participants who have had...
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion
December 5, 2022
Arne Bohn, Michiel H. H. Kiggen, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
10 citations
San Pedro, a mescaline containing cactus, has been used for thousands of years and is currently popular as a psychedelic substance in ceremonial retreats in Europe. The current research investigates the consciousness altering effects of San Pedro. Forty-two participants who joined ceremonial psychedelic retreats in the Netherlands were investigated with questionnaires probing 11 dimensions of...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
July 7, 2022
Maggie Kiraga, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
24 citations
Anxiety disorders are the most common type of psychiatric disorders among Western countries. Evidence-based treatment modalities including pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral therapy result in deficient treatment responses. Historical and recent research suggests psychedelic drugs may be efficacious in alleviating anxiety-related symptoms among healthy and clinical populations. The main...
medRxiv
March 2, 2022
Maggie Kiraga, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
preprint
Abstract Anxiety disorders are the most common type of psychiatric disorders among Western countries. Evidence-based treatment modalities including pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral therapy result in relatively low response rates (average range: 51 - 58%). Historical and recent research suggests psychedelic drugs may be efficacious in alleviating anxiety-related symptoms among healthy...
Journal of Neurochemistry
February 12, 2022
Johannes T. Reckweg, Malin V. Uthaug, Attila Szabo et al.
108 citations
Abstract 5‐methoxy‐N,N‐dimethyltryptamine (5‐MeO‐DMT) is a naturally occurring tryptamine that primarily acts as an agonist at the 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT2A receptors, whereby affinity for the 5‐HT1A subtype is highest. Subjective effects following 5‐MeO‐DMT administration include distortions in auditory and time perception, amplification of emotional states, and feelings of ego dissolution that...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
December 15, 2021
Malin V. Uthaug, Natasha L. Mason, Martha N. Havenith et al.
15 citations
Abstract Background Holotropic breathwork (Grof ® Breathwork), was developed by Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof as a ‘non-drug’ alternative technique to evoke altered states of consciousness (ASC). Interestingly, although HBW has been anecdotally reported to evoke experiences and mental health effects corresponding to those of psychedelic substances, the scientific literature on the matter is...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
October 1, 2021
Maggie Kiraga, Natasha L. Mason, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
83 citations
Background: Naturalistic and placebo-controlled studies have suggested that ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian beverage, could be helpful in the treatment of psychopathologies like depression and anxiety disorders by changing otherwise disturbed cognitive and emotional processes. To better understand its full therapeutic potential, one way is to study the effects on processes like flexible...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
August 26, 2021
Kim van Oorsouw, Malin V. Uthaug, Natasha L. Mason et al.
16 citations
Abstract Background and aims There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the psychedelic plant tea, ayahuasca, holds therapeutic potential. Uthaug et al. (2018) demonstrated that a single dose of ayahuasca improved mental health sub-acutely and 4-weeks post-ceremony in healthy participants. The present study aimed to replicate and extend these findings. A first objective was to assess...
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science
April 9, 2021
Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Trevor F Haas, Rafael Lancelotta et al.
121 citations
Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid that has been used as a sacrament by Indigenous populations in spiritual ritual and healing ceremonies for millennia. Despite promising early preliminary research and favorable anecdotal reports, there is limited research investigating mescaline's psychotherapeutic potential. We administered an anonymous online questionnaire to adults (N...
Psychopharmacology
March 10, 2021
Malin V. Uthaug, Natasha L. Mason, Stefan W. Toennes et al.
116 citations
Abstract Ayahuasca is a plant concoction containing N,N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and certain β-carboline alkaloids from South America. Previous research in naturalistic settings has suggested that ingestion of ayahuasca can improve mental health and well-being; however, these studies were not placebo controlled and did not control for the possibility of expectation bias. This naturalistic...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2021
Sylvana Vilca-Melendez, Malin V. Uthaug, Julian L Griffin
5 citations
While psychedelics may have therapeutic potential for treating mental health disorders such as depression, further research is needed to better understand their biological effects and mechanisms of action when considering the development of future novel therapy approaches. Psychedelic research could potentially benefit from the integration of metabonomics by proton nuclear magnetic resonance...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 25, 2020
Malin V. Uthaug, Rafael Lancelotta, Ana María Ortiz Bernal et al.
25 citations
Abstract Background Previous research suggests a therapeutic potential of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). However, online anecdotal reports have described a phenomenon following cessation of the acute effects of 5-MeO-DMT use which has been termed reactivation (i.e., re-experiencing [“flashback”]). To date, no research has investigated whether different routes of administration...
Psychopharmacology
December 10, 2019
Malin V. Uthaug, Rafael Lancelotta, Attila Szabo et al.
116 citations
Abstract Rationale 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine is a psychotropic substance found in various plant and animal species and is synthetically produced. 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine is used in naturalistic settings for spiritual exploration, recreation, or to address negative affect and mood problems. However, scientific knowledge on the effects of 5- methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in...
Psychopharmacology (Berl)
April 13, 2019
Malin V. Uthaug, R. Lancelotta, Kim van Oorsouw et al.
198 citations
A single inhalation of vapor from dried toad secretion containing 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in a naturalistic setting is related to sustained enhancement of satisfaction with life, mindfulness-related capacities, and a decrement of psychopathological symptoms.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 26, 2019
Natasha L. Mason, Elisabeth Mischler, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
176 citations
Creative thinking and empathy are crucial for everyday interactions and subjective well-being. This is emphasized by studies showing a reduction in these skills in populations where social interaction and subjective well-being are significantly compromised (e.g., depression). Anecdotal reports and recent studies suggest that a single administration of psilocybin can enhance such processes and...
Psychopharmacology
August 13, 2018
Malin V. Uthaug, Kim van Oorsouw, Kim P. C. Kuypers et al.
213 citations
RATIONALE: Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant tea from South America used for religious purposes by indigenous people of the Amazon. Increasing evidence indicates that ayahuasca may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of mental health disorders and can enhance mindfulness-related capacities. Most research so far has focused on acute and sub-acute effects of ayahuasca on mental...