Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
September 1, 2020
Alan K. Davis, John Clifton, Eric G Weaver et al.
144 citations
Inhaling N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) can trigger encounters with seemingly autonomous entities. A survey of 2,561 people (average age 32, 77% male) found that these encounters primarily involve visual and extrasensory perception, such as telepathy. Entities are most often described as beings, guides, spirits, aliens, or helpers. Although 41% of respondents felt fear, the dominant emotions were love, kindness, and joy, both in the respondent and attributed to the entity. Most believed the entity was conscious, intelligent, and benevolent, existing in a real but different dimension. 69% received a message, and 19% a prediction. Over half of those who were atheist before no longer identified as atheist afterward.
Scientific Reports
October 2, 2020
Manoj K. Doss, Darrick G. May, Matthew W. Johnson et al.
52 citations
Salvinorin A, a κ-opioid receptor agonist and dissociative hallucinogen found in Salvia divinorum, alters human brain functional connectivity in ways similar to other hallucinogens. In a placebo-controlled, within-subject fMRI study, inhaled Salvinorin A tended to decrease functional connectivity within brain networks while increasing connectivity between networks, most notably attenuating the default mode network during peak effects. It reduced brainwide dynamic functional connectivity but increased brainwide entropic functional connectivity, though only the reduction survived statistical correction. Connectome-based classification models trained on dynamic connectivity accurately identified Salvinorin A scans, especially when using default mode network interactions. These findings suggest shared neural mechanisms across hallucinogen types.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
December 27, 2019
Nathan D. Sepeda, John Clifton, Laura Y. Doyle et al.
23 citations
People who used inhaled synthetic 5-MeO-DMT in a structured, supportive setting reported significantly more intense mystical experiences and enduring positive effects—such as greater meaningfulness, spirituality, and well-being—and fewer challenging experiences than those who used it in a non-structured context. In the structured context group, 83% had a complete mystical experience compared to 54% in the non-structured group. The findings suggest that a safe and supportive environment enhances the positive acute and lasting outcomes of 5-MeO-DMT.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
August 5, 2022
John Clifton, Annabelle M. Belcher, Aaron D. Greenblatt et al.
6 citations
Among Black individuals diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder recruited from an urban methadone program, most had heard of psilocybin mushrooms but only 17.8% had ever used them. Over 80% perceived a risk or were unsure of the risk for most psilocybin-related items. About half were willing to try therapy incorporating psilocybin, and half said they would be more likely to try it if FDA-approved for OUD. Most preferred to stay on methadone alone; only one participant chose psilocybin treatment without methadone. The authors suggest culturally informed treatment models and outreach to increase minority representation in psilocybin research.