Research Square (Research Square)
January 25, 2022
Joseph T. la Torre, Mehdi Mahammadli, Kyle T. Greenway et al.
18 citations
Experts agree that excluding people with personal or familial histories of psychotic symptoms from psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may be justified only when protocols provide insufficient psychological support. With highly supportive therapy, such treatment is not necessarily contraindicated and may benefit individuals experiencing psychotic symptoms. Key factors for predicting outcomes include specific symptoms, illness duration, severity, therapeutic alliance quality, trauma's role, and the client's social supports.
BMC Medical Education
October 24, 2024
Susanne Birnkammer, Olga Chernoloz, Sergio Pérez Rosal et al.
10 citations
As psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) advances to phase III trials in the USA, Europe, particularly Germany, must develop professional education and regulatory frameworks to catch up. Australia has already approved MDMA and psilocybin for mental health, Ukraine is exploring MDMA for war-related PTSD, and Switzerland restarted restricted medical use of MDMA and LSD around 2014, establishing precedents for nations where these substances were illicit. Key challenges include practitioner training standards, accessibility, and oversight. The paper outlines ethical considerations, training protocols, and governmental roles for building infrastructure in Germany to support PAT rollout, aiming to influence broader European policy and help Europe reclaim its historical lead in psychiatric innovation.
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 Molecular Sciences
September 14, 2025
Jacopo Sapienza, Marco Spangaro, Stefano Comai et al.
2 citations
Schizophrenia involves excessive loss of brain connections, partly due to overactive microglia that prune synapses. A genetic variant in complement component 4 (C4) is strongly linked to the disease and drives this pruning. Brain scans using a new tracer for synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) confirm lower synaptic density in the prefrontal cortex of people with schizophrenia, supporting the synaptic hypothesis. Psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin promote neuroplasticity and synaptogenesis in animal and lab studies, potentially counteracting synaptic loss and improving negative and cognitive symptoms. The authors suggest starting with microdoses in deficit schizophrenia patients, then escalating if results are positive.
Schizophrenia Research
March 13, 2026
Michel Sabé, Paul Grof, Nathan Sackett et al.
1 citation
Serotonergic psychedelics, which are being explored for treatment-resistant depression, might also help with depressive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). Schizophrenia and depression share some underlying brain disturbances, including problems with dopamine, glutamate, and neuroplasticity, as well as abnormal brain network connectivity. Depressive symptoms in SSDs may combine features of both disorders, and psychedelics could potentially recalibrate maladaptive brain networks. Preclinical studies show psychedelics increase dendritic spines and BDNF and restore reward sensitivity. Clinical evidence is limited: uncontrolled psychedelic use is linked to increased psychosis, but controlled administration may be tolerated in stable individuals. Only one early-phase trial with MDMA in schizophrenia is ongoing; no randomized trials have tested psilocybin or LSD in SSDs. The authors conclude that psychedelics are biologically plausible but unproven for these symptoms.
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.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
November 18, 2025
Joseph T. la Torre, Ariana Kam, Todd Youngs et al.
Long-term participants in ayahuasca spiritual communities in the United States describe these groups as spaces for healing trauma, addiction, and psychological distress, offering belonging and cultural identity. These communities blend Western biomedical views of psychedelics with entheogenic spiritual frameworks, creating a hybrid healing paradigm centered on ritual, music, and shared intention. Members often move from self-focused healing toward relational growth and altruistic action, becoming facilitators and stewards. They navigate interpersonal tensions that foster emotional growth and operate in a legal grey zone, balancing risks of practice and identity. Joining such a community requires careful discernment regarding values, group dynamics, and safety. U.S. ayahuasca communities differ from individualized clinical psychedelic models by emphasizing community, spirituality, and mutual transformation.
Research Square
November 5, 2025
Joseph T. la Torre, Step Cheung, Ariana Kam et al.
In a study with 236 participants, the largest sample to date, researchers asked open-ended questions to people in an ibogaine-assisted treatment program in Mexico. Common themes emerged: emotional amplification, life review, perceptual and sensory changes, visionary states, and a sense that ibogaine has its own character or agency. The findings provide a detailed, empirically grounded portrait of ibogaine's subjective effects and show its capacity to evoke structured, meaningful, and potentially transformative states of consciousness. The study's strengths include its large sample, rapid data collection, a safe clinical setting, careful participant preparation, and open-ended questions that captured the full range of experiences.
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.