Recent years have seen a global explosion in the field of psychedelic research, popularizing of use of non-ordinary states of consciousness to aid in PTSD, anxiety and depression, end of life and a growing sense that the use of substances like MDMA, psilocybin and others may become mainstream approaches to treating persistent challenges in these marginalized populations.As we destigmatize these...
Racially minoritized adults lack equal representation in research and experience disparities in healthcare. Little is known about which trait-level factors may help mitigate negative and promote positive psychological health among adults from these communities. The aim of this study was to assess the differential impact of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and resilience in predicting...
BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disease, and patients with COPD often experience substantially emotional difficulties, such as anxiety and depression, all of which may cause serious detriment to the prognosis of patients. As a non-pharmacological intervention in clinical practice, group mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy (MBSR) is...
Lucid dreaming, a rare state in which the dreamer realizes that he or she is dreaming, has captured the interest of scholars and sparked extensive research. This article explores the historical trajectory of lucid dreaming research, tracing its roots to the early writings of Frederick van Eeden and highlighting the key scientific contributions of Stephen LaBerge. Through a rigorous methodology,...
Treatment-resistant depressionGiven the current focus on mental health especially among dental practitioners, one of the issues we may see is an increase in treatment-resistant depression (TRD).In the management of depression, the ultimate therapeutic goal is remission, but Souery et al (J Clin Psych 2006, 67 (suppl 6): 16-22) suggested that only 60%-70% of patients respond to the first line...
The recent years have seen an unprecedented surge of psychedelic research. Studies with psilocybin (colloquially known as magic mushrooms), in particular, have shown promise in ameliorating symptoms of treatment-refractory depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder, among others 1 , 2 . Microdosing, the practice of regularly taking roughly a tenth of full psychedelic doses, is becoming...
AbstractBackground Psilocybin is the main psychoactive component of a naturally occurring psychedelic organism commonly referred to as "magic mushrooms." Existing literature demonstrates beneficial neurologic effects in treatment-resistant depression, cancer-associated depression and anxiety, and substance use. The evidence base for psilocybin use is on the rise with the U.S. Food and Drug...
Kidney disease is a progressive, debilitating condition. Patients experience challenging physical and psychological symptoms and are at increased risk of anxiety, depression, and poor mental wellbeing. Access to specialist psychological or social support is limited, with inadequate provision of psychosocial support available across UK renal units. The COSMIC study (examining the acceptability...
Serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, have garnered significant attention in recent years for their potential therapeutic effects and unique mechanisms of action. These compounds exert their primary effects through activating serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, found predominantly in cortical regions. By interacting with these receptors, serotonergic psychedelics induce alterations in...
Following advice received in a dream, a woman in her early thirties, suffering from depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders caused by complex trauma in her childhood, experimented with 'microdosing' or psycholytic dosing of Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) mushrooms. During a 3.5-month period with an intuition-based, gradually declining dosing scheme, her symptoms significantly decreased. No...