High doses of Psilocybe cubensis mushroom, given orally or by injection, produced antidepressant- and anxiety-reducing effects in mice without signs of neurotoxicity. The mushroom's polar aqueous extract, which contained psilocybin and psilocin, was particularly effective. In behavioral tests, the mushroom and its extracts matched the effects of standard antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. The lethal dose was greater than 2000 mg/kg, indicating low acute toxicity. These preclinical results suggest the mushroom may be a safe and effective treatment for anxiety and depression.
Cognitive liberty is an update of freedom of thought for the 21st century, protecting people's right to use or refrain from using emerging neurotechnologies and psychedelics, especially against coercive and non-consensual uses. This philosophical paper conceptualizes cognitive liberty and the psychedelic humanities, arguing that the humanities play an underexplored but crucial role in psychedelic research. It addresses philosophical uses of psychedelics beyond ritual and therapeutic contexts, suggesting that non-clinical uses can broaden understanding of consciousness and ethical issues in science. The psychedelic humanities offer a framework for examining the interplay between science and culture.
Understanding the Aztec deity Xochipilli—associated with songs, flowers, joy, games, and fertility—demands a combination of historical, iconographic, and philological methods. This analysis offers new interpretations of rituals involving psychedelic plants linked to Xochipilli, which have often been neglected. These rituals reveal a deeper understanding of the Aztec worldview, showing how psychedelic plants gained cultural and spiritual significance within their mental landscape.