Major depressive disorder (MDD) represents a colossal worldwide burden of health, affecting more than 350 million individuals. While traditional antidepressants with mechanisms of action at the serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine pathways are routinely prescribed, approximately one-third of patients fail to achieve adequate remission and develop treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This...
MDMA's history spans military experimentation, recreational use, and clinical trials for PTSD treatment, reflecting both promise and controversy. While studies in heavy users suggested possible neurotoxicity, evidence remains inconclusive. Clinical trials show that one to three sessions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can alleviate PTSD symptoms, yet regulators have criticized inadequate...
Altered states of consciousness (ASC) represent a universal human capacity for accessing and transforming the subconscious mind, employed across cultures and millennia through diverse contemplative, somatic, pharmacological, ritual, and technological modalities. This comprehensive review synthesizes evidence from over 25 distinct disciplines spanning five clusters: (A) contemplative and...
Since 2006 there has been a renaissance within Western scientific discourse in psychedelic research which has led to some very promising findings about the potential of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy as a ‘treatment’ for a range of mental health ‘diagnoses.’ In calling for our community to take an interest in this research, this paper firstly outlines what psychedelics are, with a focus on...
To the Editor, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental state in which there are early emerging problems in social communication along with fixed behavior patterns. Social difficulties in ASD are characterized by difficulty in interpretation of interpersonal signals such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. Individuals with ASD often present with social...
Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a central driver of Alzheimer's disease (AD), contributing to neuroinflammation, synaptic failure, and energy collapse.Emerging preclinical evidence suggests that classic hallucinogens, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, may restore mitochondrial integrity by activating Serotonin...
Anxiety disorders represent the most prevalent class of mental health conditions globally, contributing significantly to disability and economic burden. While traditional diagnostic methods relying on clinician-administered scales and cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) remain foundational, a paradigm shift is underway. This review synthesizes the emerging trends revolutionizing the field,...
Psychiatric symptoms and existential distress are common at the end of life and associated with poor outcomes. Psychedelic therapies are an emerging option for managing such patients, but their testing and application depends, inter alia , on prescribers’ perspectives. However, no published data exist on the opinions of Australasian palliative care medical staff regarding psychedelic safety and...
ABSTRACT Between 1967 and 1975, psychiatrist Dr Howard Whitaker directed a program for the legal use of LSD and psilocybin in Victoria, Australia. His controversial practices were marred by misconduct, unscientific methods and evidence of malpractice. This study explores Whitaker’s LSD-assisted therapy in the 1970s through interviews with former staff of Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital in...
Brain and BehaviorApril 1, 2026Sharon Murphy, Elizabeth Stewart, Jacqueline Ruth. Winship et al.1 citation
PURPOSE: Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is becoming a clinically available treatment for patients with treatment-resistant conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in several countries. As PAT transitions from research settings into routine clinical practice, there is a growing need for coherent clinical frameworks and evidence-based guidelines to support its...