A major part of the counterculture that emerged in western societies in the 1960s centred around the use of mind-altering psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Humans had, however, been consuming hallucinogenic substances since prehistoric times and often incorporated them into their religious rituals. Concerns over the effects of potent psychedelics like LSD led to them...
Traumatic events play a causal role in the etiology of stress-related psychopathologies such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent research highlighted the therapeutic potential of psychoactive substances in alleviating trauma symptoms among chronic stress-related patients. This study is the first to investigate the impact of psychoactive substances consumed during...
Abstract Psilocybin, the natural hallucinogen produced by Psilocybe (“magic”) mushrooms, holds great promise for the treatment of depression and several other mental health conditions. The final step in the psilocybin biosynthetic pathway, dimethylation of the tryptophan-derived intermediate norbaeocystin, is catalysed by PsiM. Here we present atomic resolution (0.9 Å) crystal structures of...
Methamphetamine is a highly stimulating psychoactive drug that causes life-threatening addictions and affects millions of people around the world. Its effects on the brain are complex and include disturbances in the neurotransmitter systems and neurotoxicity. There are several known treatment methods, but their effectiveness is moderate. It must be emphasised that no drugs have been approved...
Abstract Gambling disorder is a severe mental health and behavioural problem with harmful consequences, including financial, relationship and mental health problems. The present paper initiates discussion on the use of psychedelics combined with psychotherapeutic support as a potential treatment option for people living with a gambling disorder. Recent studies have shown promising results using...
This study aimed to explore the effect of artificial intelligence-generated artwork (AIGC) as an adjunct to mindfulness meditation on the improvement of anxiety symptoms in retired people. We recruited a group of retired people with anxiety symptoms and randomly divided them into two groups: the mindfulness meditation group (N=20) and the mindfulness meditation +AIGC group (N=20). The...
A clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company that officials said is committed to revolutionizing mental health care by developing new and innovative next‐generation psychedelic‐based treatment options, announced last week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) for an adjunctive psychedelic‐based therapy for the treatment of major...
Mass psychogenic illness is a phenomenon that occurs every year in Indonesia, mainly in schools and factories. In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, this phenomenon is classified as dissociative disorders. However, the Indonesian diagnostic manual of mental disorders (the PPDGJ) classified the phenomenon as a conversion disorder. The confounding...
Psychedelics are mainly from the class of psychoactive substances whose action is to produce changes in the perception, mood, cognitive behavior, and processes of a person. This psychedelic drug creates an alteration in a person’s thinking, sense of time, and emotions. Hallucinations can be a main cause for people who take psychedelics. Mainly, these psychedelic drugs have been used since...
ABSTRACT A polar plunge is a term referring to an ice-cold water immersion (CWI), usually in the winter period. It is also a part of a specific training program (STP) which currently gains popularity worldwide and was proven to display paradigm-shifting characteristics. The aim of this study was to compare the indices of mental functioning (including depression, anxiety, mindfulness) and...