BiomedicinesFebruary 21, 2026Maximiliano Ganado, Carmen Rubio, Javier Pérez-villavicencio et al.
The neuropharmacology of psychedelics has traditionally focused on serotonergic mechanisms, particularly 5-HT2A receptor activation. However, this paradigm incompletely explains the diversity of neurobiological and therapeutic effects observed across psychedelic compounds. Non-classical psychedelics such as salvinorin A, the primary active constituent of Salvia divinorum, challenge this...
Summarizes preclinical and clinical evidence on ayahuasca—a traditional Amazonian brew combining N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and β-carbolines—in treating depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, eating, and personality disorders. Preclinical work shows enhanced neuroplasticity, reduced inflammation, and oxidative stress. Human neuroimaging reveals decreased default...
This chapter introduces readers to the many meanings and practices of meditation, showing how a simple word has grown to encompass a wide spectrum of techniques, traditions, and modern adaptations. Drawing from personal stories, cultural history, and scientific research, this chapter traces meditation from its ancient roots through its popularization in the West via Transcendental Meditation,...
This narrative review explores the potential neurophysiological correlates of the subjective experience of shared consciousness in romantic intimacy, synthesizing evidence from hyperscanning (simultaneous recording from two brains) EEG (electroencephalography), fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), and MEG (magnetoencephalography) studies. It examines how neural synchrony, specifically...
The serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin induces neural plasticity and profoundly alters consciousness. The benzodiazepine midazolam blunts neural plasticity and induces conscious sedation and amnesia at low doses. In our recent open label pilot study, we administered oral psilocybin (25 mg) along with intravenous midazolam at doses allowing a full psychedelic experience while blunting memory...
The paper addresses the epistemological reconfiguration in contemporary cognitive science of the notion of environment, which has shifted from passive backdrop to an active, co-constitutive dimension of cognition. It reviews the dismantling of traditional dichotomies (mind/body, subject/object) through the lens of the model of 4E cognition (Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, Extended), that, drawing...
Classic psychedelics typically act at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor to profoundly alter brain function and consciousness. Research on these compounds has accelerated. Major strides have been made in understanding their unique mechanisms of action and clinical potential. This Review outlines the state of psychedelic science, spanning cellular mechanisms, systems neuroscience and clinical...
This article presents the study of an experimental methodology for the management of anxiety and depression based on Amit Goswami's quantum worldview, addressing the disorders of the mental, physical and vital levels to be worked also at the supramental level, where the creative process occurs through the attribution of new meanings to conditioned beliefs and patterns.The operational protocol...
(R,S)-ketamine (ketamine) induces rapid and sustained antidepressant-relevant neuroplastogenic effects in vivo. The metabolite (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine (2R6R) forms shortly after the administration of ketamine, and independently elicits rapid plasticity and sustained metaplasticity. Ketamine's therapeutic actions appear to result from distinct, time-sensitive plasticity phases, though the...