Research topics
37 topics across 6 research areas
Curated entry points into the library, grouped by compound, condition, practice, and idea. Each gathers the studies, sample sizes, and evidence in one place.
Compounds
13- Ketamine A dissociative anesthetic with rapid-acting antidepressant effects, now an approved treatment for treatment-resistant depression. 4,475 studies 1,640 recent
- Psilocybin The primary psychoactive compound in psilocybin mushrooms, studied most heavily as an assisted therapy for depression, anxiety, and addiction. 4,389 studies 1,711 recent
- MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine An entactogen investigated primarily as an adjunct to psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. 3,446 studies 641 recent
- Cannabis A widely used plant studied across pain, anxiety, sleep, and its interactions with mental health. 2,858 studies 516 recent
- LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide A classic serotonergic psychedelic used in early and contemporary research on anxiety, cluster headache, and models of consciousness. 2,815 studies 620 recent
- Ayahuasca A traditional Amazonian brew combining DMT with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, studied in both ceremonial and clinical contexts. 1,661 studies 384 recent
- DMT N,N-Dimethyltryptamine A short-acting psychedelic studied for its acute effects on perception and its therapeutic potential. 1,593 studies 494 recent
- Esketamine S-ketamine The S-enantiomer of ketamine, approved as a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression and studied in its own large trial literature. 1,225 studies 682 recent
- 5-MeO-DMT 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine A fast-acting tryptamine from Bufo alvarius secretion and synthetic sources, studied for treatment-resistant depression and for the whole-dose mystical experiences it reliably occasions. 1,095 studies 311 recent
- Mescaline A classic psychedelic phenethylamine found in several cacti and central to long-standing ceremonial traditions. 963 studies 153 recent
- Ibogaine A psychoactive alkaloid researched chiefly for its potential to interrupt opioid and stimulant dependence. 610 studies 117 recent
- Salvia divinorum A psychoactive mint used in Mazatec practice whose active compound, salvinorin A, is a kappa-opioid agonist rather than a serotonergic psychedelic, producing a short and markedly dissociative state. 407 studies 30 recent
- CBD Cannabidiol The non-intoxicating cannabinoid studied for epilepsy, anxiety, and inflammation, with a pharmacology distinct from THC. 375 studies 78 recent
Conditions
5- Depression One of the most-studied indications in psychedelic and consciousness research, from antidepressant mechanisms to assisted-therapy trials. 10,336 studies 3,583 recent
- Addiction Studies of how psychedelics, medications, and behavioral approaches affect substance dependence and craving. 8,547 studies 2,544 recent
- Anxiety Research spanning pharmacological, contemplative, and psychedelic-assisted approaches to pathological anxiety. 7,671 studies 2,685 recent
- PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder A central target for MDMA-assisted therapy and related trauma-focused interventions. 2,096 studies 738 recent
- End-of-life distress Research on easing psychological and existential suffering near the end of life, a landmark area for psilocybin therapy. 390 studies 177 recent
Practices
4- Meditation Contemplative training studied for its effects on attention, emotion regulation, and the structure of experience. 21,552 studies 6,746 recent
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy The clinical model pairing a psychedelic session with structured psychological support. 2,923 studies 1,289 recent
- Breathwork Breathing techniques used to alter arousal and consciousness, from clinical to non-ordinary-state contexts. 744 studies 347 recent
- Microdosing The practice of taking sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics, and the evidence on whether measurable effects follow. 555 studies 197 recent
Experiences
6- Dreaming Dreams as experience: content, phenomenology, recall, nightmares, and the threshold states at the edges of sleep. 3,554 studies 777 recent
- Mystical experience Profound states of unity and self-transcendence, and their measured role as mediators of therapeutic outcomes. 3,336 studies 972 recent
- Altered states of consciousness The broad landscape of consciousness that departs from ordinary waking awareness, however induced. 2,608 studies 789 recent
- Lucid dreaming Awareness of dreaming while asleep, studied as a window into consciousness and metacognition. 1,372 studies 340 recent
- Near-death experience Vivid experiences reported around actual or perceived closeness to death, studied through prospective cardiac-arrest cohorts, standardized scales, and their frequently lasting effects on outlook and wellbeing. 946 studies 149 recent
- Ego dissolution The weakening or loss of the sense of a bounded self, measured on its own scales and studied both as a therapeutic mediator and as a source of challenging experience. 556 studies 211 recent
Traditions & thought
6- Philosophy of mind Philosophical inquiry into consciousness, subjectivity, and the mind-body relationship. 11,772 studies 3,888 recent
- Mysticism The study of mystical traditions and their accounts of union, transcendence, and unknowing across religions and eras. 3,496 studies 1,066 recent
- Buddhism Buddhist thought and practice as they intersect with psychology, neuroscience, and the study of mind. 2,378 studies 784 recent
- Shamanism Traditional and cross-cultural practices working with non-ordinary states for healing and meaning. 1,635 studies 352 recent
- Tulpamancy The practice of cultivating autonomous imagined companions, connecting to research on voluntary hallucination, agency, and plurality of self. 30 studies 10 recent
- Chaos magick A contemporary esoteric practice built on induced altered states and belief as a deliberate instrument, studied by religious-studies and psychology scholarship. 28 studies 8 recent
Mechanisms
3- Serotonin The neurotransmitter system central to the action of classic psychedelics and many antidepressants. 3,994 studies 1,021 recent
- Neuroplasticity The brain's capacity to reorganize, a leading candidate mechanism for the lasting effects of psychedelics and learning. 1,757 studies 873 recent
- Default mode network A brain network linked to self-referential thought whose modulation is associated with psychedelic and meditative states. 1,549 studies 509 recent