Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 10, 2022
Nicolas G. Glynos, Jennifer Pierce, Alan K. Davis et al.
39 citations
In a survey of 354 North American adults with fibromyalgia, nearly 30% reported having used a psychedelic, most commonly LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. Most users rated their experience as neutral (59.4%) or positive (36.8%), and fewer than 3% reported negative effects on health or pain. Among the 12 participants who used a psychedelic specifically to treat chronic pain, 11 said their symptoms improved. Regardless of past use, most respondents believed psychedelics could help treat chronic pain and would join a clinical trial for such a treatment. The findings support further research into psychedelic-based therapies for fibromyalgia.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2025
Daniel J. Kruger, Jacob S. Aday, Christopher W Fields et al.
19 citations
In an anonymous online survey of 1,221 people who reported past psychedelic use, most described adverse experiences: 74.3% felt frightened, 58.6% sadness, 54.3% body shaking or trembling, and 51.6% loneliness. About half reported some other adverse experience, and one in ten had adverse physical reactions. One-third knew someone arrested for possession or use of psychedelics; 8% reported that they or someone they know was the victim of inappropriate sexual contact by a psychedelic sitter, guide, or practitioner; and one-quarter knew someone who experienced a severe adverse event other than inappropriate sexual contact or arrest. The findings indicate that despite beneficial effects, psychedelic experiences can be challenging, distressing, or harmful, highlighting the need to prevent, identify, manage, and treat adverse events.
Frontiers in Pain Research
March 18, 2025
Jenna McAfee, Avinash Hosanagar, Vijay Tarnal et al.
18 citations
In a small open-label pilot trial, five people with fibromyalgia received two doses of psilocybin (15 mg and 25 mg) along with psychotherapy. The treatment was well-tolerated: there were temporary increases in blood pressure or heart rate during dosing that returned to normal, no serious adverse events, and four of five participants had short-lived headaches. One month after the second dose, participants reported large reductions in pain severity, pain interference, and sleep disturbance. One participant rated their symptoms as very much improved, two as much improved, and two as minimally improved. Recruitment stopped early due to generalizability concerns and changing FDA guidance, but the results suggest psilocybin-assisted therapy is safe for fibromyalgia and warrants larger trials.
Scientific Reports
January 6, 2023
Nicolas G. Glynos, Lily Carter, Soo Jung Lee et al.
17 citations
Indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (INMT) is an enzyme known for producing the psychedelic compound DMT in mammalian brains. Researchers created INMT-knockout rats to determine whether INMT is necessary for DMT production. Brain and lung tissues from both normal and INMT-knockout rats showed equal levels of tryptamine-dependent activity, but the resulting products were neither NMT nor DMT. Rat INMT alone was also insufficient for producing NMT or DMT. These findings indicate an alternative enzymatic pathway for DMT biosynthesis exists in rats, motivating further investigation into how mammals produce DMT naturally.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 1, 2024
Nicolas G. Glynos, Jacob S. Aday, Daniel J. Kruger et al.
15 citations
A large global survey of 5,268 adults who had used psychedelics found that nearly three-quarters (70.9%) reported ceasing or decreasing use of at least one non-psychedelic substance afterward. Among those who had previously used specific substances, 60.6% decreased alcohol use, 55.7% decreased antidepressant use, and 54.2% decreased cocaine or crack use. Over a quarter said the decrease lasted 26 weeks or longer. However, 19.8% reported increased or initiated use of other substances, most commonly illicit opioids (14.7%) and cannabis (13.3%). Factors linked to decreased use included motivation to reduce substance use or self-treat a medical condition; increased use was associated with higher income and residing in Canada or the US.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
February 15, 2025
Nicolas G. Glynos, Emma R. Huels, Amanda Nelson et al.
11 citations
preprint
Intravenous DMT in rats caused dose-dependent increases in serotonin and dopamine in the medial prefrontal and somatosensory cortices, along with changes in brain wave patterns: reduced theta and low gamma power, increased delta, medium gamma, and high gamma power, and altered functional connectivity. All doses produced head twitch responses, most after the low dose. For the first time, endogenous DMT was measured in these cortical sites at levels comparable to serotonin and dopamine, suggesting a physiological role for the compound. The findings point to shared mechanisms with other psychedelics and support DMT's potential for treating psychiatric disorders.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2023
Daniel J. Kruger, Nicolas G. Glynos, Christopher W Fields et al.
10 citations
People who use psychedelics and have higher education, lower age, greater frequency of use, male gender, White/Caucasian identity, higher income, and experience with more types of psychedelics tend to know more about legal status, active compounds, and therapeutic efficacy. A survey of 1,435 participants recruited at a psychedelic advocacy event and online showed overall high knowledge, but gaps remain, highlighting the need for targeted education and harm reduction outreach, especially in under-represented communities.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 19, 2024
Anne Baker, Niloufar Pouyan, Julie Barron et al.
9 citations
A survey of 107 people who provide psychedelic support services outside clinical trials found that 40.2% held a full or in-progress license and 44.9% lacked a relevant graduate degree. Almost all practitioners pre-screened clients, offered preparation, integration, and trip-sitting, and used primarily non-directive approaches. Clients most often consumed psilocybin for conditions similar to those in clinical research. Practitioners perceived mostly positive symptom changes, though a small proportion reported worsened personality disorder symptoms. Further research on naturalistic psychedelic-assisted therapy is needed.
British Journal of Pain
February 11, 2025
Anne Baker, Stephanie Lake, Philippe Lucas et al.
7 citations
Most people with chronic pain who use psychedelics to self-treat report ceasing or decreasing their use of other substances, especially alcohol and prescription opioids. In a survey of 466 adults, 86.3% said they stopped or reduced at least one non-psychedelic substance because of psychedelic use, with 21.2% reporting the decrease lasted over 26 weeks. Alcohol (71.1%) and prescription opioids (64.1%) were most often decreased or stopped. Illicit opioids (27.8%) and cannabis (21.5%) were more likely to be increased or initiated. Psilocybin was rated the most effective psychedelic for physical and mental health symptoms. Findings suggest potential benefits and risks of naturalistic psychedelic use for chronic pain.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 22, 2025
Nicolas G. Glynos, Mallet R Reid, Jacob S. Aday et al.
4 citations
People of Color have been underrepresented in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) research, and some have suggested that systemic harms like the War on Drugs and discrimination in healthcare might reduce their willingness to participate. A large-scale survey of people using psychedelics in North America compared 3,547 White people, 448 People of Color, and 377 Multiracial people. A lower proportion of People of Color used psychedelics with a trained provider, but equal proportions had disclosed psychedelic use to primary care providers, were equally motivated to use psychedelics with a trained provider, used psychedelics for similar issues, and reported similar effectiveness. The findings suggest that lack of trust may not fully explain underrepresentation, and other barriers should be investigated.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
May 1, 2025
Niloufar Pouyan, Jacob S. Aday, Steven E. Harte et al.
1 citation
People with treatment-resistant conditions often see their illness as part of their identity. The pictorial representation of illness and self measure (PRISM) gauges this self-condition enmeshment. In a survey of 297 individuals who used psychedelics therapeutically on their own, most reported symptom improvement: 95.4% with depression, 98.36% with posttraumatic stress disorder, and 94.87% with anxiety. PRISM scores dropped significantly after the most salient psychedelic experience, indicating reduced identification with the condition. The decrease in PRISM scores correlated with symptom improvement across all conditions. PRISM appears useful for tracking how psychedelics affect self-perception across diagnoses, though limitations include convenience sampling, potential positive bias, and retrospective reporting.
Journal of Psychiatric Research
June 2, 2026
Daniel J. Kruger, Audrey Czerew, Leigh Farquhar et al.
The research priorities of people who have used psychedelics differ from those of institutional researchers. An online survey of 1192 U.S. adults who reported past psychedelic use identified seven major domains for future research: therapeutic efficacy, best practices for non-clinical use, safety and adverse experiences, broader understanding including indigenous traditions, non-medical outcomes like creativity and spiritual awakening, best practices for therapy, and best practices for research. Institutional researchers emphasized molecular, neurological, and clinical topics, while users prioritized non-clinical use and societal and cultural issues.
Scientific Reports
April 15, 2026
Jacob S. Aday, Nicolas G. Glynos, Anne Baker et al.
A new questionnaire, the Psychedelic-related Major Life Changes Questionnaire (P-MLCQ), was developed to capture major life changes following psychedelic use that standard clinical measures miss. In a survey of 581 people who used psychedelics naturally, 83% reported at least one major life change influenced by their use, averaging 3.29 changes per person. The most common changes were in goals (54%), values (54%), and religion or spirituality (49%). These changes were rated highly positively on average. More frequent psychedelic use over the past five years was linked to more reported life changes. Women were 21% more likely than men to report changes, while older age and higher education were associated with fewer changes. The authors note that results may be influenced by positive bias and need replication in representative samples.
Journal of Neuroscience
December 19, 2025
Nicolas G. Glynos, Emma R. Huels, Trent Groenhout et al.
In rats, intravenous DMT causes dose-dependent increases in serotonin and dopamine in the medial prefrontal and somatosensory cortices, along with distinct changes in brain wave patterns: reduced theta and low gamma power, increased delta, medium gamma, and high gamma power, and altered functional connectivity. Head twitch responses were most frequent at the lowest dose. Endogenous DMT was detected in the cortex of most animals at baseline, suggesting it may be naturally present. The work provides a detailed neurochemical and neurophysiological profile of DMT action in rats.
Universität Zürich, ZORA
May 1, 2025
Niloufar Pouyan, Jacob S. Aday, E Harte, Steven et al.
After naturalistic psychedelic use, people with depression, PTSD, or anxiety reported reduced identification of their identity with their illness, as measured by the pictorial representation of illness and self measure (PRISM). Among 297 individuals, the majority in each condition reported symptom improvement: 95.4% with depression, 98.36% with PTSD, and 94.87% with anxiety. PRISM scores significantly decreased after the most salient psychedelic experience, and larger reductions in self-condition enmeshment were associated with greater symptom improvement. The findings suggest PRISM can detect changes in self-perception across conditions, though limitations include retrospective reporting and unclear dosing.
November 4, 2024
Jacob S. Aday, Jenna McAfee, Deirdre A. Conroy et al.
preprint
In a small open-label proof-of-concept trial, five adults with fibromyalgia received two doses of psilocybin (15 mg and 25 mg) two weeks apart, along with psychotherapy sessions. No serious adverse events occurred; transient blood pressure or heart rate elevations during dosing resolved by the end of treatment, and four of five participants had temporary headaches. One month after the second dose, participants reported clinically meaningful improvements in pain severity, pain interference, and sleep disturbance. One participant rated their symptoms as very much improved, two as much improved, and two as minimally improved. Improvements were also seen in fibromyalgia symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue. The findings suggest psilocybin-assisted therapy is well-tolerated and warrants larger randomized controlled trials.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
August 4, 2023
Kasey Cox, Cody Weston, Moss Herberholz et al.
A survey of 1,221 adults who use psychedelics found that most do so without clinical support. Only 22% disclosed their use to a primary care provider, while 58% told a psychiatric provider. Participants had less confidence in primary care providers' ability to integrate psychedelics into treatment. Common reasons for not disclosing included stigma, lack of provider knowledge, and legal concerns. 23% took psychedelics on the same day as potentially interacting psychiatric medications. Although 81% desired therapist support during experiences, only 15% had received it. The disconnection from clinical care may lead to safety issues such as inadequate screening, lack of support for adverse events, and drug interactions.
Deep Blue (University of Michigan)
January 1, 2023
Nicolas G. Glynos
DMT is a serotonergic psychedelic that produces rapid, short-lived alterations in consciousness and shows therapeutic potential. Although DMT occurs naturally in the mammalian brain and is considered a putative neurotransmitter, its biosynthesis and mechanisms remain poorly understood. In rat models, the study tested whether the enzyme INMT is necessary for DMT biosynthesis. INMT knockout rats still methylated tryptamine, and recombinant rat INMT was inactive with tryptamine, indicating an alternative biosynthetic pathway exists. Intravenous DMT in rats acutely increased serotonin and dopamine in the prefrontal and somatosensory cortices in a dose-dependent manner and altered EEG activity by reducing theta-band power and coherence while increasing gamma-band activity. These findings challenge a long-standing hypothesis about DMT biosynthesis and provide the most detailed characterization of DMT's neurochemical and neurophysiological effects in rodents.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2025
Jamarie Geller, Nicolas G. Glynos, Andrew Lemmen et al.
Trainees in medical and allied professions learn about psychedelics and related therapies mainly from social media and word-of-mouth, sources that do not improve their knowledge. Structured education is scarce, and overall psychedelic literacy is low, but those who participate in programming at their own institutions show greater knowledge. As psychedelic therapies become more available and research advances, academic training programs must include relevant material to prepare future professionals to educate and counsel patients.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 29, 2023
Nicolas G. Glynos, D. Kruger, Nicholas Kolbman et al.
Most Canadians who have used psychedelics never discuss that use with their health care provider, even though a third use them to self-treat a health condition. In a survey of 2,384 adults, 81.2% had never talked about psychedelics with their primary clinician, only 4.4% used them with a therapist, and 3.6% in a clinical setting. Although 44.8% knew about substance testing services, only 42.4% of those had ever used them. People were more likely to discuss psychedelic use with their provider if they had a therapeutic motivation, were more inclined to seek therapist guidance, or identified as non-binary.