Abstract: Serotonergic psychedelics reliably alter affective tone, emotional regulation, and self-experience. Prevailing theories emphasize acute changes in neural entropy, default mode network integrity, and large-scale functional connectivity but do not offer a clear mechanism that explains how 5-HT2A receptor pharmacology relates to lasting changes in affect and self-related processing. This...
Abstract: Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) may be approaching its own “Dodo Bird” moment: the appearance that multiple psychotherapeutic modalities “work” equally well, not because they are interchangeable, but because both symptom-focused outcome measures and, more fundamentally, the assumptions embedded in dominant RCT paradigms are ill-suited for probing the dynamic, relational, and...
Abstract: The aim of this position paper is to explore and discuss the intersection of music therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy, focusing on the safe and effective use of music during psilocybin treatment. Key points include a historical overview of psychedelic therapy, an examination of current research on the use of music in psychedelic therapy, and a rationale for why an...
Abstract: Background and aims: As contributions to this special issue attest, psychedelic integration is currently garnering much scholarly attention. However, given that most agree the focus on integration is recent, this paper asks why integration is being given such an emphasis now. What has changed in Western cultures of psychedelicisms, once preoccupied with just ‘set and setting’, that...
Abstract: Recent discussions of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) have raised concerns about its potential to produce unpredictable and persistent personal transformations that patients cannot fully anticipate and may subsequently regret. These concerns pose challenges for informed consent and have contributed to arguments for psychedelic ethical exceptionalism. In this conceptual...
Abstract: Psychedelic tourism is frequently described by participants as “life-changing.” Existing explanations emphasize mystical-type experiences, identity shift, and changes in metaphysical belief, and each identifies an important mediator. What remains missing is a process framework that distinguishes the temporal functions of the contextual factors bundled within set-and-setting accounts....
Abstract: Background and Aims: Understanding the factors that lead to participation in psychedelic clinical trials is essential for assessing potential biases in enrollment and ensuring the generalizability of findings. Psychedelic treatment is thought to impact personality traits, psychological flexibility, and expectations, yet the role of these non-pharmacological variables in the initial...
Abstract: Background and aims: In Western clinical contexts, dissociation is a common transdiagnostic response to overwhelm and is highly relevant to integration capacity. In psychedelic-assisted therapy (PaT), non-ordinary states may open access to emotionally intense material while also activating protective distance when the experience outpaces coping capacity. This article introduces a...
Abstract Background The MDMA-assisted therapy landscape has been dominated by mostly holding-oriented, non-directive models. These approaches prioritize containment of the MDMA experience but leave largely unexploited the unique window of accessibility to unconscious material that MDMA creates. Objective This paper presents Active Deep Dive Therapy (ADDT), a theoretically grounded model for...
Abstract The global expansion of psychedelic research, clinical translation, and policy reform has intensified debates concerning safety, equity, cultural appropriation, and Indigenous rights. A prominent contribution to these discussions is the Hopkins–Oxford Psychedelic Ethics (HOPE) Consensus Statement (Jacobs et al., 2024), which proposes a foundational ethical framework for a field...
Abstract Background and aims In the past 10 years, several publications have made the dubious assertion that Amanita muscaria is commonly used for suicidal purposes, though no primary sources are cited. Despite scientific advances in understanding A. muscaria 's pharmacology, discussion of this psychoactive mushroom in academic publications continues to be shrouded in bias and myth. The present...
Abstract Background and aims In contemporary psychedelic science, integration is a central construct for describing how individuals process psychedelic experiences and translate insights into their lives (Bathje et al., 2022; Smith et al. 2024). Yet this term emerges from Western therapeutic paradigms and may not resonate with Indigenous peoples who have stewarded what has been called...
Abstract Background Research on psilocybin's antidepressant effects has been investigated rigorously over the last 20 years. Psilocybin has been used in both major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment resistant depression (TRD) cohort with promising results. Aims The aim of this review was to summarize the reporting practices used in psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) trials for MDD and TRD....
Abstract Despite growing interest in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, research investigating the psychotherapeutic components is lacking. This leaves unanswered questions regarding the psychotherapy's necessity and form. This observational study addresses this gap by measuring the outcomes of a psilocybin truffle retreat, followed by the outcomes of two psychotherapy interventions that...
Abstract Background The Pivotal Mental States (PiMS) construct posits that psychedelics and other stress-inducing practices, such as fasting and hypoxia, can evoke transformative mental states through increased serotonin receptor activation in the brain. These states are associated with enhanced cognitive flexibility, accelerated associative learning, and psychological insights that may...
Abstract The Czech Republic, like many European countries, continues to face significant challenges in treating substance use disorders (SUDs), with high relapse rates and complex comorbidities often linked to trauma and mental illness. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has re-emerged internationally as a promising therapeutic modality, although available evidence remains heterogeneous...
Psychedelic therapies are moving from the margins of medicine into clinical practice, bringing unresolved ethical questions to the forefront. Among them, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has gained the widest medical acceptance, particularly for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In August 2025, this development reached a new stage as Norway became the first country to approve...
Abstract Background and Aims Music has been associated with psychedelic experiences throughout human history, from ancient shamanic healing rituals to contemporary psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), and is considered integral for positive therapeutic outcomes. Yet optimized protocols and best practice standards for the use of music in PAT are lacking. Methods This interdisciplinary literature...
Abstract Background and Aims Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a novel, transdiagnostic treatment in which the 5-HT2A receptor agonist psilocybin is combined with psychotherapy. Studies to date have evaluated PAP's effects on depression, substance use, and end-of-life adjustment. Relatively less attention has been given to its effects on anxiety symptoms, which are highly comorbid with...
Abstract Background and aims This study explores the factors influencing the use of drug-testing kits as a harm reduction strategy among recreational psychedelic users in Israel. Methods Using an online survey of 422 participants, we collected data on attitudes toward testing psychedelic substances, harm reduction attitudes in the context of testing kits, accessibility to testing kits, and...
Abstract The visionary beverage known as ayawaska ( yage, oni , caapi , camaranti , etc.) among the Indigenous Nations of the Amazon has, over the past century, generated increasing academic interest and popular fascination, leading to a boom in psychedelic tourism and “neo-shamanism”. This article attempts to account for the uses of ayawaska within the contemporary cultural context of the...
Abstract Background and Purpose Music plays a central role in psychedelic-assisted therapy, yet few methodologies exist to create and assess therapeutic playlists. This study aimed to illustrate a methodology for developing and evaluating a music playlist for a clinical psilocybin trial using an integrative framework grounded in theory, intentionality, and metrics. Methods A playlist was...
Journal of Psychedelic StudiesApril 15, 2026Jean C. Vélez Rodríguez, Yanice Duquesne-Maldonado, Julián M. Hernández Torres et al.
Abstract Background and aims Psilocybin, a psychoactive compound found in fungi commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” is consumed for both spiritual and recreational purposes. However, psilocybin use in Puerto Rico remains understudied. This exploratory cross-sectional survey aimed to describe patterns of use, motivations for consumption, explanatory factors, personality traits, and...
Abstract Background and Aims Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and existential distress are common among individuals with terminal illness. Preliminary evidence suggests that death acceptance may protect against these issues, but there is limited research on the role of psychedelic-assisted therapy in fostering death acceptance. This scoping review aims to explore the...
Abstract Introduction While the relationship between substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health conditions is well established, treatment for these co-occurring conditions is difficult to manage. Research on the potential for psychedelic treatments to address SUD and mental health conditions has recently seen a resurgence. This study aimed to explore narratives on the influence of...