Psychedelic drugs that activate 5-HT2A receptors have been long used for cultural, medicinal and recreational purposes. Interest in psychedelics for treating psychiatric disorders has resurged recently and is well documented; less well recognised are their anti-inflammatory properties. Growing evidence now demonstrates that psychedelics modulate immune responses, including inhibiting...
Abstract Classical psychedelics such N,N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT), psilocybin, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) modulate consciousness via serotonergic receptor agonism, and are increasingly investigated for their psychotherapeutic potential. When combined with the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor harmine—mimicking the pharmacological profile of ayahuasca—oral DMT induces a...
Sleep paralysis (SP), an REM parasomnia, can be characterized as one of the symptoms of narcolepsy. The SP phenomenon involves regaining meta-consciousness by the dreamer during REM, when the physiological atonia of skeletal muscles is accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations that are perceived as vivid and distressing nightmares. Sensory impressions include personification of an...
Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe mood disorder characterised by depression, irritability, mood lability, anxiety and physical symptoms that occur exclusively in the last week/s of the menstrual cycle. With a growing global interest in microdosing of psychedelic drugs, an increase in self-medication has occurred, including by those with PMDD. Aim: Qualitative...
This viewpoint reconceptualizes mysticism and fundamentalism as brain network disorders, with psychedelics like psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine offering potential to modulate these states. By disrupting rigid neural patterns, psychedelics may foster cognitive flexibility, challenge inflexible belief systems, and offer therapeutic value for extremism and mental...
A revolutionary change in contemporary therapeutic paradigms may be seen in the renewed interest in psychedelic plant remedies. Psychedelic plants like psilocybe mushrooms, ayahuasca, iboga, and salvia divinorum, which have long been valued for their spiritual and therapeutic qualities in a variety of cultures, are now the subject of intense scientific research. According to recent clinical...
The therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances, particularly psilocybin, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has garnered considerable attention. However, the necessity of subjective psychedelic experiences for therapeutic efficacy remains unclear, creating a critical gap in the field. To determine whether subjective psychedelic experiences induced by psilocybin are required for its...
The classical psychedelics (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and mescaline exert their psychedelic effects via activation of the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor (5-HT2AR). Recent clinical studies have suggested that classical psychedelics may additionally have therapeutic potential for many neuropsychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, migraine and cluster headaches, drug...
Psychedelics have been studied since the 1950s as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), with over a dozen clinical trials of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and several contemporary trials of psilocybin and ayahuasca for this indication. Herein, we characterize foundational studies from the 1950s to the present, with emphasis on key design factors that varied considerably...
Background Recent years have seen renewed clinical interest in the therapeutic potential of classical psychedelics, such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and mescaline. While modern studies have focused on adult populations, adolescents under 18 are routinely excluded due to regulatory, legal, and ethical challenges. Although there exists observational data and historical studies from 1959 to 1974...