This study assessed the correlates of cannabis and psychedelic use and legalization support among young adults in the United States (US). Using 2025 data among adults ages 18–34 (n = 3227), we assessed cannabis and psychedelic message exposure and perceptions, mental health symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-4 [PHQ-4]), and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in relation to past-6-month...
Abstract Aim of study: The antidepressant effect of ketamine may be at least partly due to its antioxidant activity. The aim of the study was to assess whether ketamine develops a protective effect on HT22 neuronal cells under conditions of oxidative stress (OS) induced by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Material and methods The experiment was performed on an immortalized mouse hippocampal HT22...
This article challenges the assumption that the science of consciousness can proceed from a theory-neutral foundation. I argue that even ostensibly theory-neutral (or theory-light) programmes inevitably rely on substantive background commitments that cannot be cleanly bracketed. The analysis demonstrates that the aspiration to eliminate or minimize theory-dependence in favour of pure...
We carried out a systematic review of modern-era (1990-2025) placebo-controlled studies assessing the acute and post-acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide, dimethyltryptamine and psilocybin on cognitive and psychological functions. From February 28 to March 19, 2025, PubMed and APA PsychINFO were systematically searched for placebo-controlled studies examining the influence of...
General anesthesia produces reversible loss of consciousness characterized by abrupt state transitions, nonlinear dose-response relationships, inter-individual variability in transition thresholds, and occasional dissociations between behavioral responsiveness and reported experience. Global workspace theories provide a well-validated account of how conscious access is disrupted under...
Open MindFebruary 13, 2026John Moriarty, Alan Robert Bowman, Alison Pocock
preprint
Psychedelics are psychoactive substances that alter one's perception, cognition and emotion, as well as one's sense of time, place and self (Nutt, 2023, p.19). Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) involves the carefully controlled administration of a psychedelic substance "alongside structured psychological support, including preparation, guidance during the psychedelic session, and post-session...
Ibogaine is a psychedelic alkaloid without an approved indication. Observational clinical research shows linkages between single administration of ibogaine and relief of symptoms of neuropsychiatric conditions including substance use disorder, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. Ibogaine has multi-receptor actions, but the neurobiological mechanisms underlying such putative effects...
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited intellectual disability and a leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As a synaptic disorder, FXS involves the loss of Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMRP), leading to abnormal dendrite development and immature dendritic spines. Serotonergic signaling, essential for neuronal development and circuit remodeling,...
Abstract Photoswitchable ligands enable reversible control of receptor signaling through light-induced cis – trans isomerization, yet predicting how subtle structural modifications affect efficacy remains challenging. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate two azobenzene-based human 5–HT 2A receptor ligands differing only by a methoxy substituent position ( para – vs meta...
Rapid-acting antidepressants like ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics show promise for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but the molecular mechanisms that contribute to their therapeutic effects remain unclear. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer a platform to model human cortical neurons and investigate drug effects in a human-relevant system. Here, iPSCs from individuals with...