Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2023
B Romeo, B Fauvel, S Dejean et al.
14 citations
A retrospective online survey of 173 smokers who had a psychedelic experience found that average cigarettes per day and the proportion with high tobacco dependency dropped significantly afterward. Participants who reduced or quit smoking reported more intense mystical experiences during the session and lower psychological flexibility before it. Increased psychological flexibility after the session and personal motives for taking the psychedelic were positive predictors of smoking reduction or cessation. The findings suggest that a naturalistic psychedelic experience can be linked to reduced tobacco use, with the intensity of the mystical experience, personal motives, and gains in psychological flexibility playing key roles.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
May 4, 2022
Ismael Apud, Juan Scuro, Ignacio Carrera et al.
14 citations
Participants in ayahuasca rituals at a substance-use-disorder treatment center in Uruguay scored higher than a control group on Impulsive Sensation Seeking, Boredom Susceptibility, and Social Warmth scales of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire. Qualitative analysis of their experiences revealed five categories: emotional experiences (including love and empathy), corporal experiences, spiritual/transcendental experiences, personal experiences, and visions. The findings suggest that the combination of social interactions and ayahuasca's pharmacological action may facilitate social emotions during rituals and contribute to long-term increases in empathic and social aspects of personality.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 15, 2019
A. Danforth
14 citations
Autistic adults who used MDMA (ecstasy) in nonclinical settings reported lasting improvements in trauma, social anxiety, and interpersonal relationships, with no long-term adverse outcomes. Qualitative interviews with 24 participants across 13 countries revealed themes of intra- and interpersonal change, suggesting MDMA-assisted therapy may be an effective catalyst for healing. The findings support the need for future clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for autistic adults facing social adaptability challenges.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2011
Radmila Lorencova
14 citations
People who use both marijuana and alcohol score higher in the mysticism dimension of spirituality than those who only drink alcohol, according to a new Czech questionnaire. Individuals who attribute their spiritual feelings to drug use report greater spirituality than those who do not. Gender, age, education, and profession show no significant effect on spirituality, but religious and nonreligious drug users differ in specific spiritual dimensions. The findings are based on 155 respondents using the Prague Spiritual Questionnaire.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 1999
M D De Rios, R Stachalek
14 citations
Plant hallucinogens like those from the Duboisia genus (pituri) were used by Australian Aboriginal tribal elders to induce suggestible states in youth, particularly during pubertal initiatory rituals marking the transition to manhood. This practice served to rapidly educate young people and inculcate cultural values, beliefs, and religious tenets, contributing to cultural cohesiveness and survival. The article examines suggestibility as a psychological characteristic of altered states and as a normal human phenomenon, drawing on a 100-item bibliography from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. It also reviews botanical and chemical data on Duboisia use up to the end of the nineteenth century, describing how the hallucinogen functioned as a psychotechnology.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 1, 1985
David E. Smith, Richard B. Seymour
14 citations
Adverse reactions to LSD, including terrifying experiences akin to nightmares, are examined through clinical case histories and psychoanalytic interpretation. The paper argues that such reactions often stem from unresolved psychological conflicts and the user's set and setting, rather than being purely pharmacological. It describes how the drug can amplify latent anxieties, leading to panic, paranoia, and prolonged psychotic episodes in vulnerable individuals. The authors suggest that these adverse reactions reveal the deep psychological significance of the LSD experience, linking it to dream states and the unconscious mind.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 18, 2023
Emmy Manson, Erin Ryding, Wes Taylor et al.
13 citations
A pilot program offered group-based therapy with three ketamine sessions at a psychedelic dose to eight Indigenous participants and two Elders, in partnership between Roots to Thrive and the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Thematic analysis of interviews and feedback revealed that participants experienced significant benefits, including the importance of Indigenous team members, traditional healing approaches, and authentic relationships. Challenges were also noted. The work highlights the need to address colonial legacies and integrate Indigenous Ways of Knowing for culturally safe psychedelic therapies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 24, 2019
Kim P. C. Kuypers, E. B. de Sousa Fernandes Perna, Eef L. Theunissen et al.
13 citations
4-Fluoroamphetamine (4-FA), a novel psychoactive substance with a chemical structure similar to amphetamine and MDMA, induces a mild psychedelic state. In a placebo-controlled crossover study of 12 healthy poly-drug users, the psychedelic state peaked one hour after administration, coinciding with highest serum concentrations, and declined over time as concentrations fell. No change in creative (flexible) thinking occurred. The intensity of the 4-FA-induced psychedelic state falls between that produced by amphetamine and MDMA, consistent with user reports. More research is needed to determine whether 4-FA can alter creative thinking.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2002
Jos Ten Berge
13 citations
Intoxication, like dreams and madness, has historically been interpreted through two opposing cultural lenses: either as possession by an external agency or as liberation that reveals hidden truths (in vino veritas). Artists under LSD, mescaline, or psilocybin similarly describe feeling either possessed or liberated, influenced by their expectations and cultural dichotomies. However, analysis of a protocol suggests that intoxication can involve both possession and liberation almost simultaneously. Mediumistic and some psychedelic art display stylistic traits expressing both feelings. The demoniacal and psychedelic modes merge in experiential reality but are divided culturally.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2025
Sean M. Viña
12 citations
Lifetime classic psychedelic use and religious participation are each independently linked to a lower likelihood of committing violent assault. The protective association between risky behavior and violence is weaker among people who consider religion highly salient in their lives. Among those who have used psychedelics, the link between risky behavior and violence is smallest for individuals with strong religious salience. Both religious attendance and personal religious significance appear to work together in shaping this relationship.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2003
Ede Frecska, Keith D. White, Luis E. Luna
12 citations
Ingesting the South American hallucinogenic beverage ayahuasca reduced the rate of perceptual alternations in a binocular rivalry task, increased the duration of one percept, and produced evidence of phenomenal fusion. These findings align with brain activation studies showing right cortical activation under hallucinogens and support the concept of interhemispheric fusion in altered states of consciousness, rather than the earlier theory of changes in hemispheric integration.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 31, 2025
Samuel Thomson, Nikos Thomacos
11 citations
A systematic review of 19 studies with 949 participants examined whether psychedelics can enhance well-being in healthy individuals, applying the PERMA Theory of Well-Being. The substances studied included psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and 5-MeO-DMT. Results consistently indicate that psychedelic consumption is related to enduring enhancements in positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. No serious adverse effects were reported in six studies, though discussion of adverse effects was often absent. The review calls for a paradigm shift toward recognizing psychedelics' capacity to foster human flourishing beyond a disease-focused lens.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 7, 2025
Amy Lehrner, Heather Jackson, David S. Mathai et al.
11 citations
Among 679 adults using psilocybin in naturalistic settings, 68.2% reported acute feelings of shame or guilt during the experience, which were difficult to predict. The ability to constructively work through these feelings predicted wellbeing 2-4 weeks later. On average, psilocybin produced a small but significant decrease in trait shame maintained 2-3 months after use (Cohen's dz = 0.37), though trait shame increased in 29.8% of participants. The activation of self-conscious emotions with psychedelics warrants further attention as a challenging experience subcategory relevant to psychological outcomes, potentially creating a unique learning condition for shame-related memory reconsolidation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 10, 2024
Nilubon Thaoboonruang, Manupat Lohitnavy, Ornrat Lohitnavy
11 citations
Psilocybin, the main psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, acts as a prodrug that is rapidly converted in the body to its active form, psilocin. After ingestion, psilocin levels in blood and brain peak quickly and depend on the dose given. Psilocin is broken down through multiple metabolic pathways and has a short half-life of 2–3 hours. This review of 20 studies highlights that while basic pharmacokinetics are understood, important gaps remain—such as incomplete information on metabolism and limitations in study design—that future research should address to improve dosing and treatment optimization for conditions like major depressive disorder.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 10, 2023
Ashmita Grewal, Kalysha Closson, Gina Martin et al.
11 citations
People who experienced childhood adversity are more likely to suffer psychological distress. An online survey of adults who had used psilocybin in the past three months found that the link between adverse childhood experiences and current distress was weaker for those who had recently used psilocybin. Interest in and acceptance of psilocybin was high regardless of the severity of childhood adversity. The findings suggest psilocybin could be an acceptable and potentially helpful therapy for survivors of adverse childhood experiences, with the strongest benefits for those who faced the most severe adversity.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 24, 2023
Stanley Wong, An Yi Yu, Nicholas Fabiano et al.
11 citations
Interest in psychedelic therapies for mental and substance use disorders has grown, but evidence for non-psilocybin serotonergic psychedelics remains limited. A scoping review of mescaline, ibogaine, ayahuasca, DMT, and LSD identified 77 studies: 43 on LSD, 24 on ayahuasca, and 5 each on DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline. Reported benefits included improved mood, anxiety, insight, reduced substance use, better relationships, and fewer vegetative symptoms. Adverse effects were psychological, neurological, physical, and gastrointestinal; serious events like homicide and suicide appeared in LSD studies. The review concludes there is only low-level evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of these substances for mental and substance use disorders.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 11, 2022
Jeremy Weleff, Teddy J. Akiki, Brian S. Barnett
11 citations
After decades of limited research, interest in using psychedelics as psychiatric treatments has revived. A bibliometric analysis of 394 clinical studies on 5-MeO-DMT, ayahuasca, DMT, LSD, ibogaine, mescaline, MDMA, and psilocybin published from 1965 to 2021 found that publications resurged after a lull from the 1970s to the 1990s. MDMA was the most frequently studied substance (49%), followed by LSD (19%), psilocybin (18%), and ayahuasca (7%). Comparing studies from 1965-2009 with those from 2010-2021, the recent cohort had a higher proportion of studies on therapeutic applications and a lower proportion on effects in non-research settings. Psilocybin studies increased proportionally, while DMT and mescaline studies decreased. Researchers in the United Kingdom had the most diverse international collaborations.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 12, 2022
Vincent Hartong, Arnold A P Van Emmerik
11 citations
People who microdose psychedelics, either currently or in the past, report lower trait anxiety than those who have never microdosed. This association appears to be partly explained by higher trait mindfulness, particularly the facets of non-judging and non-reactivity. However, when participants who had previously taken a full psychedelic dose were excluded from the analysis, the link between microdosing and lower anxiety disappeared. The findings indicate that previous macrodose experience may account for the observed differences, and randomized controlled trials are needed to test whether microdosing itself reduces anxiety.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 22, 2022
Lindsay Shaw, Kerri Rea, Nathan J. Lachowsky et al.
11 citations
Young adults in Victoria, Canada who had used magic mushrooms within the past three months described lasting impacts including transformation and learning. They used strategies such as researching magic mushrooms and relying on peer support to optimize their experiences. Aspects previously considered harmful were instead associated with learning and few harms. The perceived positive outcomes and low risk profile suggest the need for further research to help users maximize benefits and minimize harms.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2008
Jan G. Bruhn, Hesham R. Ei-Seedi, Nikolai Stephanson et al.
11 citations
Three new minor alkaloids—lophophine, homopiperonylamine, and lobivine—have been identified in peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi) cacti. These are the first psychoactive phenethylamines other than mescaline reported in these species. The discovery suggests that substances resembling Ecstasy may occur naturally, and further investigation of biosynthetic analogues could clarify structure-activity relationships of mescaline. The findings raise the question of whether such natural compounds can be considered designer drugs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 1989
R Noll
11 citations
Anthropological investigations of shamans and their altered states of consciousness have inherited prescriptive problems from psychology, including dichotomies such as conscious versus unconscious mental processes, objectivism versus subjectivism, environmentalism versus nativism, and others. These perspectives have colored assumptions in the field but have not prevented the acquisition of new knowledge about shamanism. However, a resolution of these problems remains lacking due to insufficient data.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 10, 2024
Ashutosh Bhave
10 citations
Decriminalization and legalization of psilocybin in several U.S. cities and states (Oregon and Colorado) have led to a significant increase in public interest in psilocybin, as measured by web search volume, while simultaneously reducing search interest in other psychedelics like LSD and MDMA. This shift occurred nationwide, even in states without psilocybin reforms. The authors suggest that moving public attention toward psilocybin, considered safer with lower overdose and hospitalization risks, has positive public health implications.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 7, 2023
Marianna Graziosi, Manvir Singh, Sandeep M. Nayak et al.
10 citations
Reports of psychedelic experiences show both similarities and differences across cultural contexts, yet most current characterizations come from Western medical and naturalistic settings. This article reviews the history of diverse psychedelic use in non-Western settings and compares accounts of acute subjective effects within and beyond Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) contexts. It contrasts themes from direct testimony and psychometric measures including the mystical experiences questionnaire, five-dimensional altered states of consciousness scale, Survey of God Encounters, Survey of Entity Encounters, Challenging Experiences Questionnaire, and Inventory of Nonordinary Experiences. Recommendations are offered for future empirical research to quantify cross-cultural similarities and differences.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2023
V. Tsang, Dragos C Razagan, P. Kryskow et al.
10 citations
Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are rising among healthcare providers, and conventional treatments have limited effectiveness. A 12-week pilot program combined a Community of Practice (CoP) group therapy with optional ketamine sessions for 57 healthcare providers. Symptoms were measured before and after the program. All participants showed significant reductions: depression scores dropped by an average of 6.79 points, anxiety by 5.57 points, and PTSD by 14.83 points. Those who also received ketamine had larger reductions, but the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting the group therapy itself drove the improvement.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2023
Daniel J. Kruger, Nicolas G. Glynos, Christopher W Fields et al.
10 citations
People who use psychedelics and have higher education, lower age, greater frequency of use, male gender, White/Caucasian identity, higher income, and experience with more types of psychedelics tend to know more about legal status, active compounds, and therapeutic efficacy. A survey of 1,435 participants recruited at a psychedelic advocacy event and online showed overall high knowledge, but gaps remain, highlighting the need for targeted education and harm reduction outreach, especially in under-represented communities.