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- Psilocybin The primary psychoactive compound in psilocybin mushrooms, studied most heavily as an assisted therapy for depression, anxiety, and addiction. 4,249 studies 1,700 recent
- Ketamine A dissociative anesthetic with rapid-acting antidepressant effects, now an approved treatment for treatment-resistant depression. 3,492 studies 1,534 recent
- MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine An entactogen investigated primarily as an adjunct to psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. 2,827 studies 630 recent
- LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide A classic serotonergic psychedelic used in early and contemporary research on anxiety, cluster headache, and models of consciousness. 2,698 studies 610 recent
- DMT N,N-Dimethyltryptamine A short-acting psychedelic studied for its acute effects on perception and its therapeutic potential. 1,567 studies 513 recent
- Ayahuasca A traditional Amazonian brew combining DMT with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, studied in both ceremonial and clinical contexts. 1,535 studies 355 recent
- Cannabis A widely used plant studied across pain, anxiety, sleep, and its interactions with mental health. 1,464 studies 360 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. 1,104 studies 332 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. 989 studies 623 recent
- Mescaline A classic psychedelic phenethylamine found in several cacti and central to long-standing ceremonial traditions. 928 studies 163 recent
- Ibogaine A psychoactive alkaloid researched chiefly for its potential to interrupt opioid and stimulant dependence. 610 studies 122 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. 338 studies 28 recent
- CBD Cannabidiol The non-intoxicating cannabinoid studied for epilepsy, anxiety, and inflammation, with a pharmacology distinct from THC. 199 studies 48 recent
Conditions
5- Depression One of the most-studied indications in psychedelic and consciousness research, from antidepressant mechanisms to assisted-therapy trials. 7,278 studies 3,092 recent
- Addiction Studies of how psychedelics, medications, and behavioral approaches affect substance dependence and craving. 6,298 studies 2,228 recent
- Anxiety Research spanning pharmacological, contemplative, and psychedelic-assisted approaches to pathological anxiety. 5,049 studies 2,128 recent
- PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder A central target for MDMA-assisted therapy and related trauma-focused interventions. 1,578 studies 670 recent
- End-of-life distress Research on easing psychological and existential suffering near the end of life, a landmark area for psilocybin therapy. 330 studies 163 recent
Practices
4- Meditation Contemplative training studied for its effects on attention, emotion regulation, and the structure of experience. 13,037 studies 5,130 recent
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy The clinical model pairing a psychedelic session with structured psychological support. 2,736 studies 1,255 recent
- Breathwork Breathing techniques used to alter arousal and consciousness, from clinical to non-ordinary-state contexts. 512 studies 274 recent
- Microdosing The practice of taking sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics, and the evidence on whether measurable effects follow. 490 studies 190 recent
Experiences
6- Dreaming Dreams as experience: content, phenomenology, recall, nightmares, and the threshold states at the edges of sleep. 2,504 studies 655 recent
- Mystical experience Profound states of unity and self-transcendence, and their measured role as mediators of therapeutic outcomes. 2,438 studies 805 recent
- Altered states of consciousness The broad landscape of consciousness that departs from ordinary waking awareness, however induced. 2,113 studies 736 recent
- Lucid dreaming Awareness of dreaming while asleep, studied as a window into consciousness and metacognition. 1,045 studies 323 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. 837 studies 163 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. 480 studies 220 recent
Traditions & thought
6- Philosophy of mind Philosophical inquiry into consciousness, subjectivity, and the mind-body relationship. 8,027 studies 3,337 recent
- Mysticism The study of mystical traditions and their accounts of union, transcendence, and unknowing across religions and eras. 2,393 studies 850 recent
- Buddhism Buddhist thought and practice as they intersect with psychology, neuroscience, and the study of mind. 1,555 studies 635 recent
- Shamanism Traditional and cross-cultural practices working with non-ordinary states for healing and meaning. 1,079 studies 259 recent
- Tulpamancy The practice of cultivating autonomous imagined companions, connecting to research on voluntary hallucination, agency, and plurality of self. 25 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. 23 studies 5 recent
Mechanisms
3- Serotonin The neurotransmitter system central to the action of classic psychedelics and many antidepressants. 3,421 studies 977 recent
- Neuroplasticity The brain's capacity to reorganize, a leading candidate mechanism for the lasting effects of psychedelics and learning. 1,405 studies 798 recent
- Default mode network A brain network linked to self-referential thought whose modulation is associated with psychedelic and meditative states. 1,087 studies 423 recent