The aim of this perspective article is to evaluate the potential of Psychedelics in the management of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) vis-a-vis pre-existing therapeutic modalities and to elucidate practical directions for policy in AUD Addiction medicine, supported by scientific evidence, while prioritizing safety and accessibility. We performed a narrative synthesis of past and current literature...
The clinical use of psychedelic substances and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) is an area of growing interest that also raises significant social concerns and controversy. Despite existing legal restrictions, empirical research on substances such as psilocybin, mescaline, MDMA, LSD, DMT, and ibogaine has been developing, particularly in the treatment of conditions such as treatment-resistant...
Background: Serotonergic psychedelics induce their psychoactive effects by stimulating the brain’s serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR). In humans, a cerebral 5-HT2AR occupancy of ≥60% is required to elicit a profound psychedelic experience with psilocybin [1] and for pigs, a dose corresponding to ∼65% 5-HT2AR occupancy elicits headshakes [2]. We posit that in order to assess biochemical and...
Despite divergent behavioral and phenomenological profiles, both psychedelic states and reduced states of consciousness have been associated with a flattening of the brain's functional hierarchy. To address this apparent paradox, we developed a more specific definition of hierarchy based on the proximity of the brain to thermodynamic equilibrium and then applied it to investigate the changes to...
Microdosing psychedelics has attracted growing attention from public commentators, scientists, investors and user communities across the globe. Microdosing is the use of small doses of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. Its proponents speak of microdosing as a use modality that improves various human abilities and life areas, including cognitive function, mood,...
Mystical dynamics-the notion that mystical oneness may unfold involving ego disintegration, renewal, and luminous light-has been discussed anecdotally by psychedelic researchers and therapists but has not yet been empirically examined in controlled settings. This study investigated the occurrence and dose-dependency of mystical dynamics in healthy participants after administration of...
Current neuroscience research calls into question the binary model of anesthesia as a state of consciousness shifted by unconsciousness, replacing it with an idea of consciousness as a continuum created by interactions between large-scale cortex and subcortical regions.Meanwhile, psychedelic drugs are making a comeback as potential treatments for treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic...
Recent psychedelic research has shown that compounds such as psilocybin, DMT, ayahuasca, and 5-MeO-DMT can induce acute altered states involving self-dissolution, altered reality-status, and heightened meaning attribution. Historical and cross-cultural evidence likewise suggests that nonordinary states have often been embedded within ritual, initiation, contemplative discipline, and structured...
Psychotic symptoms are uncommon and non-specific adverse effects of classic (serotonergic) psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and mescaline. They can emerge during the acute phase of psychedelic drug effects, persist into the subacute ("afterglow") period, or, in rare cases, develop into long-term psychotic illness. Across all three scenarios, the symptoms can be...
Classical serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., LSD, psilocybin, DMT) alter perception and neuroplasticity primarily via 5-HT2A receptor activation and downstream Ca2+-dependent signaling cascades. Here we propose a speculative yet falsifiable pharmacological hypothesis that these drug-induced biochemical cascades might interface with quantum-mechanical processes in the brain. We focus on nuclear...