Psilocybin enhances insightfulness in meditation: a perspective on the global topology of brain imaging during meditation.
Berit Singer, Daniel Meling, Matthias Hirsch-Hoffmann, Lars Michels, Michael Kometer, Lukasz Smigielski, Dario Dornbierer, Erich Seifritz, Franz X. Vollenweider, Milan Scheidegger
Scientific Reports March 26, 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55726-x (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 36 |
| Population | Experienced meditators |
| Interventions | Psilocybin Placebo |
| Duration | Five-day retreat |
| Topics | Meditation Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Consciousness Self-awareness |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin-induced positive derealization linked to open-monitoring meditation was associated with greater optimal transport distance between open-monitoring and resting-state brain activity, suggesting enhanced meta-awareness and insight. |
Abstract
In this study, for the first time, we explored a dataset of functional magnetic resonance images collected during focused attention and open monitoring meditation before and after a five-day psilocybin-assisted meditation retreat using a recently established approach, based on the Mapper algorithm from topological data analysis. After generating subject-specific maps for two groups (psilocybin vs. placebo, 18 subjects/group) of experienced meditators, organizational principles were uncovered using graph topological tools, including the optimal transport (OT) distance, a geometrically rich measure of similarity between brain activity patterns. This revealed characteristics of the topology (i.e. shape) in space (i.e. abstract space of voxels) and time dimension of whole-brain activity patterns during different styles of meditation and psilocybin-induced alterations. Most interestingly, we found that (psilocybin-induced) positive derealization, which fosters insightfulness specifically when accompanied by enhanced open-monitoring meditation, was linked to the OT distance between open-monitoring and resting state. Our findings suggest that enhanced meta-awareness through meditation practice in experienced meditators combined with potential psilocybin-induced positive alterations in perception mediate insightfulness. Together, these findings provide a novel perspective on meditation and psychedelics that may reveal potential novel brain markers for positive synergistic effects between mindfulness practices and psilocybin.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on psilocybin and meditation, most cited first.