Research recaps
208 recaps (and counting)
What each month's new studies found, topic by topic. Every recap is synthesized from that month's papers and links back to each one.
June 2026
15 recaps · 244 papers- Neuroplasticity Mechanisms Research in June 2026 found that psilocybin and ketamine can enhance neuroplasticity in animal models and humans, with psilocybin reversing stress-induced neuroplastic deficits and ketamine promoting synaptic remodeling. However, microdosing psilocin did not increase neurogenesis in rats, and the evidence for endogenous DMT maintaining neuroplasticity remains mixed. The main caveat is that most findings come from preclinical studies, with limited and preliminary human data. 15 papers
- Depression Conditions Research published in June 2026 indicates that both mindfulness-based interventions and rapid-acting antidepressants (ketamine, esketamine, psilocybin) show promise for depression, with mindfulness consistently reducing symptoms and psychedelics/ketamine providing rapid relief, especially in treatment-resistant cases. However, evidence is mixed regarding long-term durability, and many studies are limited by small samples, lack of blinding, or short follow-up periods. 25 papers
- Mysticism Traditions & thought In June 2026, research on mysticism was predominantly theoretical and qualitative, exploring mystical concepts in philosophy, literature, and cultural traditions. One experimental study found that breathwork can induce psychedelic-like mystical experiences, but a separate neuroimaging study found that neural dynamics predicted ego dissolution but not mystical experience specifically. The evidence is too sparse and heterogeneous to draw a unified conclusion about mysticism in this period. 16 papers
- Addiction Conditions Research in June 2026 on addiction found that psychedelic-assisted therapy shows cautious potential for substance use disorders, with strongest evidence from RCTs for ketamine reducing craving and from systematic reviews for psilocybin, though much evidence remains observational. Ibogaine treatment carries a mortality risk largely confined to opioid detoxification, and attitudes among professionals and patients are cautiously optimistic but highlight the need for more education and research. The main caveat is that the evidence base is still heterogeneous and limited by small samples, open-label designs, and lack of long-term durability data. 14 papers
- Shamanism Traditions & thought Research on shamanism in June 2026 is predominantly theoretical and interpretive, focusing on symbolic and structural analyses of shamanic elements in folklore, ritual, and material culture. One large survey provides empirical evidence on beliefs in supernatural harm among psychedelic users, but the overall body of evidence is limited in scope and does not support broad empirical conclusions about shamanic practices or their effects. 5 papers
- Philosophy of mind Traditions & thought The June 2026 philosophy of mind literature is dominated by theoretical and conceptual analyses, with no empirical studies directly testing hypotheses about the nature of consciousness. The papers consistently challenge reductive physicalism and functionalism, arguing that consciousness involves irreducible first-personal, embodied, and cultural dimensions that cannot be captured by third-person descriptions or artificial systems. The main caveat is that this is a body of purely theoretical work, so conclusions are based on argumentation rather than experimental data. 25 papers
- Microdosing Practices Research on microdosing published in June 2026 indicates that the evidence for its benefits remains weak and inconsistent. Preclinical work in rats found no behavioral or neurogenic effects from chronic psilocin microdosing, while an umbrella review of human studies found only a small decrease in cognitive control and no significant mood improvements. Observational surveys show that microdosing is relatively common among psychedelic users and is associated with mental health symptoms and adverse childhood events, but these correlational findings do not demonstrate efficacy. 6 papers
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy Practices Research in June 2026 found that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows a moderate-to-large reduction in PTSD symptoms, while ketamine's effect on PTSD was small and non-significant. For depression, real-world ketamine-assisted psychotherapy practices vary widely, and a pilot trial suggests ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be acceptable for methamphetamine use disorder. However, the evidence base remains constrained by poor study quality, heterogeneity in protocols, and unresolved issues like blinding and expectancy effects. 20 papers
- Cannabis Compounds Research on cannabis published in June 2026 spans diverse areas, including neurobiological effects, clinical management, and social/regulatory perspectives. Findings are mixed: some studies show cannabis use is associated with increased psychotic-like experiences and symptom burden, while others highlight potential benefits (e.g., managing premenstrual symptoms) and differential effects based on individual traits. The evidence is largely cross-sectional or preclinical, with limited longitudinal or clinical trial data, so conclusions about long-term effects or therapeutic efficacy remain tentative. 11 papers
- LSD Compounds Research on LSD published in June 2026 shows mixed but promising therapeutic signals: a low-dose RCT in ADHD found an effect only on temporal processing, while a crossover trial in healthy adults found improved offline motor learning and reduced stress one week after a full dose. However, a systematic review concluded there is insufficient evidence to recommend psychedelics for ADHD, and preclinical work cautions that the head-twitch response alone does not reliably indicate psychoactivity. Overall, findings are preliminary and limited by small samples, secondary analyses, and lack of long-term data. 9 papers
- Anxiety Conditions Research published in June 2026 consistently shows that mindfulness-based interventions reduce anxiety across diverse populations, including students, patients with anxiety/depression, athletes, and older adults, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large and benefits often sustained at follow-up. However, evidence is limited by small pilot samples, lack of active controls, and short follow-up periods, and one preclinical study found a small anxiogenic effect of psilocin microdosing, highlighting the need for more rigorous, long-term studies. 25 papers
- PTSD Conditions Research on PTSD in June 2026 focused heavily on ketamine and psychedelic-assisted therapies, with mixed results: MDMA-assisted psychotherapy showed significant moderate-to-large symptom reductions, while ketamine's effects were inconsistent—some studies found large improvements, others found small or non-significant effects, and acute trauma use may worsen symptoms. Other interventions like mindfulness and imagery rehearsal therapy showed short-term benefits, but durability and long-term outcomes remain unclear. Overall, the evidence is heterogeneous and limited by small samples, poor study quality, and unresolved methodological challenges. 13 papers
- Meditation Practices Research published in June 2026 consistently indicates that mindfulness-based interventions reduce anxiety, stress, and depression across diverse populations, including students, parents, and clinical patients, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large. Results are broadly consistent, though many studies are small, uncontrolled, or lack long-term follow-up, and some reviews note mixed findings and methodological limitations. 25 papers
- Psilocybin Compounds Research on psilocybin in June 2026 shows promising but preliminary therapeutic effects for depression, OCD, and PTSD, with evidence of rapid symptom reduction and neuroplasticity. However, results are mixed regarding durability, with benefits often limited to weeks or months, and microdosing studies show no significant mood or cognitive improvements. Key caveats include small sample sizes, short follow-up periods, and challenges with blinding. 25 papers
- Altered states of consciousness Experiences Research in June 2026 on altered states of consciousness (ASCs) shows that various induction methods—including breathwork, virtual reality, and relaxation techniques—can produce measurable changes in subjective experience, with breathwork yielding large acute psychedelic-like effects and short-term psychological insight. Findings are consistent that ASCs involve shifts in self-referential processing and embodiment, but evidence is preliminary, with small samples and limited durability data. The main caveat is that most studies are exploratory or theoretical, and definitive conclusions about neural correlates or long-term transformation remain premature. 10 papers
May 2026
15 recaps · 247 papers- Psilocybin Compounds In May 2026, research on psilocybin showed large within-group effects on anxiety (g=0.96) and small between-group effects (g=0.48), with long-term antidepressant benefits persisting up to 12 months in treatment-resistant depression. However, blinding integrity was insufficient, with psilocybin showing the highest rates of functional unblinding, and evidence for cocaine use disorder and other conditions remains mixed or preliminary. The main caveat is that many studies are open-label, small, or have high heterogeneity, limiting the strength of conclusions. 25 papers
- LSD Compounds Research published in May 2026 indicates that LSD may induce neuroplastic changes—such as reversing aging-related transcriptional programs, enhancing white matter integrity, and prolonging stimulation-induced neural activity—which are associated with antidepressant and pain-relief effects, though these findings come from preclinical and small clinical studies. However, epidemiological data show mixed associations: LSD use is linked to higher insomnia severity in young cannabis users, while psychedelic use is associated with lower migraine odds in male twins, and no effects on authoritarian attitudes were found. The evidence is preliminary, with limited sample sizes and a need for replication and long-term outcome data. 10 papers
- MDMA Compounds Research published in May 2026 indicates that MDMA-assisted therapy produces moderate-to-large reductions in psychopathology (g = 1.03) compared to controls, though with high heterogeneity and low harm-reporting quality. MDMA consistently enhances subjective social experience and reduces social threat processing, but does not reliably increase observable prosocial behavior. However, safety concerns remain, including risks of hyponatremic encephalopathy in older adults and the potential for functional unblinding in trials, and evidence on long-term effects is limited. 14 papers
- Ayahuasca Compounds Research on ayahuasca in May 2026 spans diverse outcomes: preliminary neuroimaging suggests possible but non-significant changes in brain topology, while qualitative and preclinical studies hint at benefits for suicidality and Parkinson's disease, though with small samples and no controls. However, a case report highlights severe serotonin syndrome risk when combined with other serotonergic agents, and a large longitudinal study found baseline resilience predicts more intense challenging experiences. Overall, evidence is mixed and preliminary, with significant caveats regarding sample sizes, lack of controls, and safety concerns. 10 papers
- Depression Conditions Research published in May 2026 on depression focused heavily on ketamine and esketamine, with mixed results: while several studies and reviews report rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects, a small RCT found ketamine was not significantly better than midazolam, and blinding failures were common. Psilocybin showed sustained benefits up to 12 months in one trial but not at one year in another. Overall, evidence supports short-term efficacy of ketamine and psilocybin, but durability, blinding, and long-term safety remain key caveats. 25 papers
- Cannabis Compounds Research on cannabis in May 2026 consistently found that THC exposure impairs memory and alters brain connectivity, with effects varying by age, sex, and prior exposure. Acute THC also impaired driving, especially when combined with alcohol, and chronic use led to tolerance. However, findings on executive function were mixed, and most studies were preclinical or cross-sectional, limiting generalizability to humans. 15 papers
- PTSD Conditions Research published in May 2026 on PTSD is heterogeneous, spanning pharmacological interventions, neuroimaging, and dream-related predictors. A phase 2 RCT found that the neuroplastogen TSND-201 (methylone) significantly reduced PTSD symptoms versus placebo (CAPS-5 difference of ~9.6 points), while a case study reported benefits from ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. However, other work highlighted reporting errors and hype in psychedelic-assisted therapy research, and a narrative review noted that evidence for intranasal esketamine and psychotherapy combinations remains limited. Overall, findings are promising but preliminary, with small samples and limited long-term data. 9 papers
- Anxiety Conditions Research published in May 2026 indicates that mindfulness-based interventions and psychedelic-assisted therapies show promise for reducing anxiety symptoms, with meta-analyses reporting large within-group effects for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (Hedge's g = 0.96) and significant reductions from VR-based mindfulness. However, evidence is mixed and limited by high heterogeneity, small sample sizes, and a lack of long-term follow-up, so conclusions about durability and generalizability remain cautious. 25 papers
- Meditation Practices Research published in May 2026 indicates that mindfulness-based interventions, including MBCT and mindfulness yoga, consistently reduce psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress) and improve well-being across diverse populations, with large effect sizes in small pilot trials. However, evidence is limited by small samples, short durations, and methodological weaknesses, and some studies show mixed or null effects on certain outcomes. Overall, the findings support mindfulness as a promising complementary approach, but more rigorous, long-term trials are needed. 25 papers
- Buddhism Traditions & thought Research on Buddhism in May 2026 spans theoretical, historical, and empirical work. Empirical studies found that Buddhist meditation practices improved life satisfaction, happiness, and gratitude (with gains largely retained at 3 months) and that Zen meditation in monks and nuns was associated with distinct EEG patterns indicating relaxation and alertness. However, most studies were theoretical or qualitative, with small samples or no empirical data, so conclusions about efficacy are limited and require more rigorous, larger-scale research. 22 papers
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy Practices In May 2026, research on psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) showed large within-group effects on anxiety (g=0.96) and small between-group effects (g=0.48), with the intensity of the acute psychedelic experience being the most common predictor of therapeutic response. Qualitative evidence suggests PAT may act as a catalyst for transformation in eating disorders, and cancer patients and carers are open to PAT if risks are carefully managed. However, evidence is limited by high heterogeneity across studies, small sample sizes, and a lack of controlled trials in many areas. 11 papers
- Serotonin Mechanisms Research published in May 2026 on serotonin spans diverse topics, including psychedelic mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and safety risks. Findings are mixed: some studies support anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of serotonergic psychedelics, while others highlight risks like serotonin syndrome and valvular heart disease. The evidence is largely preclinical or theoretical, with small human samples, and long-term durability and clinical translation remain unclear. 13 papers
- Philosophy of mind Traditions & thought Research in philosophy of mind from May 2026 shows a strong convergence on embodied, enactive, and neurophenomenological approaches, with multiple studies arguing that consciousness and selfhood are fundamentally grounded in bodily processes, agency, and organism-environment coupling rather than internal representation. Findings are consistent across theoretical, phenomenological, and neurocognitive frameworks, but the evidence remains largely theoretical and conceptual rather than empirical, with no large-scale experimental studies reported. 17 papers
- Mysticism Traditions & thought Research on mysticism published in May 2026 is predominantly theoretical and philosophical, with no empirical studies. The evidence is insufficient to draw any directional conclusion about the nature or effects of mystical experiences. 8 papers
- Default mode network Mechanisms Research on the default mode network (DMN) in May 2026 spans diverse topics, with consistent evidence that DMN activity is reduced during states like meditation, flow, and psychedelic experiences, and that DMN connectivity is linked to trauma-related cognition and cognitive decline. However, findings are mixed regarding the direction of DMN changes in some contexts, and many studies are theoretical or preliminary, limiting causal conclusions. 18 papers