International Journal for the Psychology of Religion
January 1, 2023
Amy Bartlett, Anne Vallely, Monnica T. Williams et al.
9 citations
Academic engagement with psychedelic studies has been limited and fragmented along traditional disciplinary lines. An interdisciplinary approach is essential for understanding the potential of psychedelics for human healing and flourishing, and for ensuring an inclusive, holistic, and sustainable evolution of the field. This paper explores the intersection of psychedelic studies and interdisciplinarity, calling for more interdisciplinary institutional and cultural approaches in academia.
Journal of Evolutionary Psychology
September 21, 2020
Monnica T. Williams, Amy Bartlett, Tim Michaels et al.
7 citations
Equity and diversity are essential for inclusive psychedelic research, yet oversights and misattributions of key figures persist. Dr. Valentina Pavlovna Wasson, an important early contributor to Western psychedelic science, remains under-recognized. Researchers must critically examine the foundations of psychedelic studies with an intersectional lens to avoid replicating social and cultural inequalities in the field's research and history.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
July 31, 2024
Joseph T. la Torre, Jade Gallo, Mehdi Mahammadli et al.
6 citations
Most people with a history of psychotic experiences or diagnoses who used psychedelics reported personal growth, mystical-type experiences, improved insight, and feelings of love and appreciation. In an online retrospective survey of 100 such individuals, 88% said their psychedelic experience led to some degree of personal growth. However, 11% described overall negative experiences including symptom exacerbation, dysphoria, and terror, and a slightly larger portion reported mixed experiences. The findings suggest that while many individuals with psychotic histories may benefit from psychedelic experiences, a notable minority experience adverse effects, challenging assumptions that this group should be universally excluded from psychedelic research.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
May 6, 2024
Mark Cornfield, S. Mcbride, Joseph T. la Torre et al.
6 citations
Ketamine-assisted therapy, when given to both partners during Imago Relationship Therapy, produces a wide range of effects including empathogenic, mystical, anxiolytic, and antidepressant experiences. Participants reported heightened awareness, vulnerability, and communication, along with lower defenses and novel somatic sensations. The drug's short duration, rapid onset, and cumulative effects were noted, alongside transient mild side-effects. Statistical tests indicated improved relationship satisfaction after treatment. The findings suggest ketamine may have therapeutic benefits in couples therapy under clinical supervision, but more research is needed.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
October 29, 2024
Pamela Kryskow, Paul Stamets, Joseph T. la Torre et al.
4 citations
In a program offering psilocybin-assisted therapy for end-of-life distress, participants received synthetic psilocybin, whole Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, and a mycological extract on separate occasions. Post-treatment interview transcripts revealed broad consensus that all three forms were helpful and similar, generating visual and perceptual distortions, emotional and cognitive insight, and mystical experiences. However, synthetic psilocybin was described as feeling less natural and its overall quality of experience was inferior to the organic forms. These preliminary findings suggest that research should include whole psychedelic mushrooms and extract alongside synthetic psilocybin, given that traditional medicine keepers have used whole mushrooms and plant material for millennia.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
April 1, 2024
Doris Payer, Sukhpreet Klaire, Dominique Morisano et al.
4 citations
A 2022 scientific research conference in Toronto brought together stakeholders from multiple disciplines to discuss the potential role of psychedelic compounds in treating mental health and substance use disorders. This Special Issue includes 8 papers based on conference presentations, covering quantitative and qualitative works plus two letters to the editors. The articles present the current state of psychedelic research, viewpoints on impacts for underrepresented communities, the need to recognize the history of these compounds beyond the new Western renaissance, and the complexities of integrating psychedelics into mainstream medicine. The collection emphasizes that collaboration can advance the field to harness its potential impact.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 29, 2024
Arghavan Nepton, Hesam Farahani, Monnica T. Williams et al.
2 citations
Depression involves a wide range of biological changes, from gene variations to epigenetic modifications, not only serotonergic mechanisms. Therapy response to antidepressants is linked to epigenetic regulation of genes in the serotonergic system. Persistent depressive symptoms may involve stable molecular adaptations in the brain at the epigenetic level. Responses to psychotherapy for mood disorders correlate with epigenetic alterations, including in genes regulating the serotonergic and glutamatergic systems and the HPA axis. Ketamine's antidepressant effects may be linked to epigenetic alterations, and further exploration of BDNF's relation with ketamine in epigenetic signaling is warranted. Understanding these mechanisms may help gauge therapy efficacy and duration.
Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.)
December 22, 2025
Linda E. Carlson, Harriet Richardson, Ron Shore et al.
1 citation
The CAnadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy (CAN-PACT), launched in 2025, aims to address demoralization syndrome and psychosocial distress in Canadians with cancer. The network has six objectives: building a national interdisciplinary network, setting research priorities through stakeholder engagement, developing training for clinicians and researchers, pilot-testing intervention procedures, conducting a multi-center randomized controlled trial of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) for advanced cancer, and informing healthcare policy. CAN-PACT seeks to generate Canadian evidence and prepare the oncology system for equitable access to safe, evidence-based PAT in publicly funded cancer centers.
Scientific Reports
July 11, 2026
Monnica T. Williams, Sonya C. Faber, Jordan Sloshower et al.
A small preliminary study of five diverse individuals found that MDMA-assisted therapy significantly reduced trauma symptoms related to discrimination. Scores on the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale dropped by an average of 38% after treatment, a large effect. All participants, who had experienced multiple forms of discrimination including gender, racial, and sexual orientation bias, reported marked improvement. The results suggest MDMA-assisted therapy may help alleviate discrimination-related trauma in marginalized populations, though the small sample size calls for cautious interpretation and further research with larger, more diverse groups.
Psychedelics
May 14, 2026
Joseph T. la Torre, Jade Gallo, Matteo Buonaroti et al.
People with histories of psychotic symptoms who used psychedelics in naturalistic settings reported both benefits and harms. Benefits included personal growth, insight, increased spirituality, and symptom reappraisal. Challenging experiences and adverse effects also occurred, especially when set and setting were unfavorable. The findings question the categorical exclusion of this population from psychedelic research and therapy, and call for more holistic, ethically guided study of psychedelic-assisted therapy for this underserved group.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
July 5, 2021
Morgan Campbell, Monnica T. Williams
Patients with mental illnesses should have the same access to promising experimental therapies, including psychedelics, as patients with other conditions. The principle of early access to experimental treatments, advanced by activist Larry Kramer during the AIDS pandemic, is now standard in medicine for diseases like cancer and infectious diseases. Psychiatry has failed to provide similar expanded access during public health emergencies, psychological crises, and pandemics, despite patient preferences and community needs. The field must align with the rest of medicine and let patient preferences guide policy and law on unapproved medications such as psychedelics.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2024
Raymond Feng, Terence H. W. Ching, Amy Bartlett et al.
After receiving psychoeducation about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) were more likely than non-Hispanic White participants to say they would seek PAP or refer others to it. The mode of psychoeducation—didactic, visual, narrative, or hope-based—did not change this result. Information about physical safety and success rate of PAP uniquely predicted BIPOC participants' likelihood of seeking and referring others. The findings suggest that stigma is not the main barrier to BIPOC participation in PAP trials; rather, providing psychoeducation may help diversify future research.
Clinical Case Studies
August 1, 2021
Mailae Halstead, Sara Reed, Robert Krause et al.
A client with treatment-resistant PTSD stemming from racism and childhood sexual abuse showed significant symptom reduction after four ketamine administrations over 13 days combined with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and functional analytic psychotherapy. Gains were maintained at a 4-month follow-up. The case demonstrates ketamine as an effective adjunct to psychotherapy for treatment-resistant PTSD.