Self-awareness—the capacity to make oneself the object of one's own attention—has clinical relevance, and understanding its neurochemical basis may clarify causes of and treatments for psychopathological conditions. This article reviews how psychedelics influence self-awareness by affecting brain networks such as the default-mode and salience networks, and neurotransmitters. Within a predictive-coding framework, it examines effects on interoception, body ownership, agency, metacognition, emotional regulation, and autobiographical memory. Improved emotional regulation and autobiographical memory have been observed with psychedelic use, suggesting changes in higher-order self-awareness, modulated by relaxed priors and enhanced cognitive flexibility. Bodily self-awareness alterations are less consistent, potentially varying with dose, acute versus long-term effects, and clinical conditions.
Two scales that measure altered states of consciousness—the OAV and the 5D-ASC—were adapted and validated for Brazilian Portuguese through expert review and back-translation. In an online survey of 3762 people recounting their psychedelic experiences, factor analyses confirmed an 11-factor structure for the OAV and a 6-factor structure for the 5D-ASC, both with strong internal consistency (α > 0.76). Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations with the Mystical Experience Questionnaire and Ego Dissolution Inventory. Factor scores differed by substance, setting, and meditation frequency; ayahuasca and DMT experiences produced higher oceanic boundlessness and anxious ego-dissolution scores. The scales show reliable psychometric properties for Brazil, though sample homogeneity and recall bias are limitations.
Interviews with 26 stakeholders in Brazil—including Indigenous leaders, clinicians, activists, and policymakers—revealed four barriers (accessibility, regulation, limited knowledge, and risks), three facilitators (need for innovation, scientific advancements, and legal loopholes), and four perspectives (integration of ancestral knowledge, idealization/mysticism/scientific rigor, user autonomy, and tangible social benefits) for psychedelic research and regulation. Themes were shared across groups but varied in emphasis, highlighting cultural, political, scientific, and clinical considerations for a region with a rich history of traditional psychedelic use.