L’historiographie en général et celle produite en France en particulier présente traditionnellement les stupéfiants comme des substances indistinctement dangereuses. Ce cadrage systématique sur les phénomènes d’addictions, de déviance et de risques pour l’usager·ère ou la société, repérable par exemple dans la majorité des thèses d’histoire soutenues sur la question des psychotropes, occulte...
The human brain is a unique and complex system where neurotransmitters are not merely biological components but may serve as "divine tools" enabling higher states of consciousness. Endogenous DMT (dimethyltryptamine) emerges as a key substance capable of inducing altered states of awareness linked to profound spiritual and mystical experiences. Research suggests that DMT, produced naturally in...
The term "dissociation" encompasses a wide array of symptoms and phenomena, all sharing the common characteristic of involving altered states of consciousness where an individual temporarily loses the sense of continuity of their own identity. In the context of addiction pathology, however, the dissociative paradigm remains a topic of ongoing debate. It fluctuates between the description of...
Psychedelic substances have great promise for the treatment of many conditions, and they are the subject of intensive research. As with other medical treatments, both research and clinical use of psychedelics depend on our ability to ensure informed consent by patients and research participants. However, some have argued that informed consent for psychedelic use may be impossible, because...
Mystical experiences are a form of direct awareness of the presence of God or the transcendent truth, which the mystic attains through methods such as meditation, seclusion, remembrance (dhikr), asceticism, and divine love. These experiences emerge through detachment from worldly dependencies and deep internal focus, leading to a state in which the mystic perceives a sense of unity with the...
“Pretty girls don't buy cocaine,” Greta1 says and laughs as she walks out the front door. My hands and face sting as I stand frozen in the entryway and hear her start the car. I'd asked my twenty-two-year-old daughter where she got the money to feed the addictions she was battling. Over the past three years, she'd chosen a few subpar boyfriends who introduced her to substances, which helped set...
Acta Amazonica2024Salvana Priscylla Manso Costa, Keith Cardoso Carvalho, Isabella Nunes Gomes et al.4 citations
ABSTRACT Ayahuasca is a psychoactive decoction originally used in indigenous Amazonian culture. It consists of a dense brown liquid that most frequently results from the decoction of two plants native to the Amazon rainforest, Psychotria viridis (Rubiaceae) and Banisteriopsis caapi (Malpighiaceae). The composition of the decoction is variable, as several plant species can be used in its...
We begin by summarizing several examples of antidepressants whose therapeutic actions begin when they encounter their targets in the cytoplasm or in the lumen of an organelle. These actions contrast with the prevailing view that most neuropharmacological actions begin when drugs engage their therapeutic targets at extracellular binding sites of plasma membrane targets-ion channels, receptors,...
Introduction to the Special Section on Psychedelics Research and Treatment Dominic Sisti Against a backdrop of post-pandemic malaise, diseases of despair, and a fragmented mental health care system, psychedelics have enjoyed a resurgence of interest as powerful psychotherapeutic agents and as catalysts of personal growth. The true power of these substances—some of which are considered...
Depression, affecting over 264 million people globally, presents significant treatment challenges, often due to the limited efficacy and adverse effects of traditional antidepressants and the accessibility issues associated with psychotherapy. Recent advancements in psychedelic-assisted therapy, particularly using psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in “magic mushrooms”, shows...