The author offers a framework for the theoretical understanding of challenging psychedelic experiences. This is achieved by integrating the existential psychodynamics of Yalom and the common causes of challenging psychedelic experiences noted by Grof in his LSD work. Praxis is offered by the application of hermeneutic practice to psychedelic integration.
Hallucinogens are a broad category of substances encompassing drugs with diverse pharmacological, phenomenological, and adverse effects. In this chapter, the focus is on disorders caused by and exacerbated by two classes of hallucinogens. These are classic psychedelics (drugs including LSD and psilocybin that exert subjective effects principally by 5HT_2A agonism) and the substituted...
Psychedelics might be the oldest psychoactive agents known to be used for inducing religious or mystical experiences. Their strong psychoactive effect was discovered accidentally in 1943 after the synthesis of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1937. These drugs became a mainstream area of research following the synthesis of LSD; however, several political and social factors led to their ban...
Background Recent survey data indicate that some people report long-term improvement in color vision deficiency (CVD), also known as color blindness, following use of psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin. However, there are no objective data reported in the medical literature quantifying the degree or duration of CVD improvement associated with psychedelic use....
Classic psychedelics, such as LSD, psilocybin, and the DMT-containing beverage ayahuasca, show some potential to treat depression, anxiety, and addiction. Importantly, clinical improvements can last for months or years after treatment. It has been theorized that these long-term improvements arise because psychedelics rapidly and lastingly stimulate neuroplasticity. The focus of this review is...
Background: Past research reports a positive relationship between experience with classic serotonergic psychedelics and nature relatedness (NR). However, these studies typically do not distinguish between different psychedelic compounds, which have a unique psychopharmacology and may be used in specific contexts and with different intentions. Likewise, it is not clear whether these findings can...
Psychosis spectrum disorder (PSD) affects 1% of the world population and results in a lifetime of chronic disability, causing devastating personal and economic consequences. Developing new treatments for PSD remains a challenge, particularly those that target its core cognitive deficits. A key barrier to progress is the tenuous link between the basic neurobiological understanding of PSD and its...
Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics have anecdotally been reported to show a characteristic pattern of subacute effects that persist after the acute effects of the substance have subsided. These transient effects, sometimes labeled as the ‘psychedelic afterglow’, have been suggested to be associated with enhanced effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the subacute period....
Prepulse inhibition of the startle response enables measuring animal behavior and helps us understand core aspects of neuropsychiatric diseases. Prepulse inhibition is considered a translational indicator of sensorimotor gating deficits present in schizophrenia patients and is crucial in the characterization of animal models of schizophrenia-like behaviors. Hallucinogenic drugs acting through...
This study aimed to measure the prevalence of drugs of abuse (DOA) among the goods carriage drivers associated with the southern State of India, Kerala. Point-of-collection testing (POCT) of oral fluid collected from the participants (n = 249) was done using the Evidence MultiSTAT DOA Oral Fluid II Assay kits and the Evidence MultiSTAT analyzer. Out of the total samples, 53 (21.29%) were...