Psychedelic Drugs News

December 20, 2024

Top Headlines

Egyptians Drank Hallucinogenic Cocktails in Ancient Rituals, Study Confirms

Nov. 15, 2024 — Scholars for the first time identified chemical signatures of the components of a liquid concoction contained in a Bes mug. A new technique helped identify a sample flavored with honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice and grapes -- commonly used ...

Anti-Anxiety and Hallucination-Like Effects of Psychedelics Mediated by Distinct Neural Circuits

Nov. 14, 2024 — New research suggests that it could be possible to separate treatment from hallucinations when developing new drugs based on psychedelics. The anti-anxiety andhallucination-inducing qualities of ...

Psychedelics Excite Cells in Hippocampus to Reduce Anxiety

Sep. 24, 2024 — A classic psychedelic, similar to LSD, psilocybin and mescalin, was found to activate a cell type in the brain that silences other neighboring neurons, a result that provides insight into how such drugs reduce anxiety, according to a new ...

New Method Tracks How Psychedelics Affect Neurons in Minutes

Aug. 5, 2024 — A new tool to track the neurons and molecules activated in the brain by psychedlic drugs could help scientists unlock the benefits of psychedelic treatments for patients with brain ...

Latest Headlines

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Study Explores Access to Psychedelics for Therapeutic Use

Sep. 10, 2024 — Feeling safe and comfortable are key when discussing your health and wellbeing with your primary care provider. However, that feeling of comfort and safety can't be taken for granted among many ...

Psilocybin Generates Psychedelic Experience by Disrupting Brain Network

July 17, 2024 — Researchers report that psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, destabilizes a critical network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking. The findings provide a neurobiological ...

Two New Species of Psilocybe Mushrooms Discovered in Southern Africa

July 2, 2024 — In a new paper, researchers and citizen mycologists describe the two new species as Psilocybe ingeli and Psilocybe maluti. The paper also contains information on the traditional use of P. maluti by ...

Psychedelic Drug-Induced Hyperconnectivity in the Brain Helps Clarify Altered Subjective Experiences

May 23, 2024 — A new study shows that the use of psilocybin, a compound found in the widely known 'magic mushrooms,' initiates a pattern of hyperconnectivity in the ...

How Psychedelic Drugs Interact With Serotonin Receptors to Potentially Produce Therapeutic Benefits

May 8, 2024 — Researchers have shed valuable light on the complex mechanisms by which a class of psychedelic drugs binds to and activates serotonin receptors to ...

In Psychedelic Therapy, Clinician-Patient Bond May Matter Most

Apr. 22, 2024 — Drug effects have dominated the national conversation about psychedelics for medical treatment, but a new study suggests that when it comes to reducing depression with psychedelic-assisted therapy, ...

Poison Center Calls for 'Magic Mushrooms' Spiked After Decriminalization, Study Finds

Feb. 26, 2024 — Calls to U.S. poison centers involving psilocybin, or 'magic mushrooms,' among adolescents and young adults rose sharply after several U.S. cities ...

Largest Diversity Study of 'Magic Mushrooms' Investigates the Evolution of Psychoactive Psilocybin Production

Jan. 9, 2024 — The genomic analysis of 52 Psilocybe specimens includes 39 species that have never been sequenced. Psilocybe arose much earlier than previously ...

Ketamine's Effect on Depression May Hinge on Hope

Oct. 19, 2023 — In an unusual trial, researchers found that a patient's belief that they had received ketamine, even if they didn't, could improve their ...

Psychedelics Improve Mental Health, Cognition in Special Ops Veterans

Oct. 5, 2023 — One treatment each of two psychedelic drugs lowered depression and anxiety and improved cognitive functioning in a sample of U.S. special operations forces veterans who sought care at a clinic in ...

Can LSD Confer Psychological Strength and Resilience?

June 20, 2024 — Lifetime LSD use is associated with a higher likelihood of severe psychological distress after losing one's job, according to a new ...

Unregulated Sales of a Toxic and Hallucinogenic Mushroom Endanger Public Health

June 10, 2024 — Americans' interest in a potentially harmful 'magic mushroom' is soaring, according to a new study. The scientists suggest that the growing market for Amanita muscaria may be sparked ...

Crackdown on Illicit Drugs Detects Rise in 'Designer' Drug Substitutes

Mar. 25, 2024 — As authorities crack down on illicit drugs, experts have issued an alert on the use of the synthetic stimulant pentylone, as new research finds a 75% increase in detections across ...

How Psychedelic Drugs Affect a Rat's Brain

Aug. 9, 2023 — Researchers have developed a technique for simultaneously measuring electrical signals from 128 areas of the brain in awake rats. They have then used the information to measure what happens to the ...

Psychedelic Drugs Reopen 'Critical Periods' for Social Learning

June 14, 2023 — Neuroscientists have long searched for ways to reopen 'critical periods' in the brain, when mammals are more sensitive to signals from their surroundings that can influence periods of brain ...

Is There a Common Path to the Psychedelic Experience?

Apr. 25, 2023 — A study takes a closer look at the neurobiology of psychedelic experiences caused by nitrous oxide, ketamine and ...

Advanced Brain Imaging Study Hints at How DMT Psychedelic Alters Perception of Reality

Mar. 20, 2023 — Scientists have gleaned new insights into how psychedelics alter conscious experience via their action on brain ...

Receptor Location Matters for Psychedelic Drug Effects

Feb. 16, 2023 — Location, location, location is the key for psychedelic drugs that could treat mental illness by rapidly rebuilding connections between nerve cells. Researchers show that engaging serotonin 2A ...

Mushrooms Magnify Memory by Boosting Nerve Growth

Feb. 10, 2023 — Researchers have discovered the active compound from an edible mushroom that boosts nerve growth and enhances ...

Promising Results from Psilocybin Trial for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Nov. 7, 2022 — Researchers have participated in the largest and most rigorous clinical trial to date of psilocybin (a psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms), pointing to the possibility that COMP360 psilocybin ...

Scientists Create 'Non-Psychedelic' Compound With Same Anti-Depressant Effect

Sep. 29, 2022 — New research in animal models show it's possible to create a compound that hits the same exact target as psychedelic drugs hit -- the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors on the surface of specific ...

Psychedelics May Lessen Fear of Death and Dying, Similar to Feelings Reported by Those Who've Had Near Death Experiences

Aug. 24, 2022 — In a survey study of more than 3,000 adults, researchers compared psychedelic experiences with near-death experiences that were not drug related and found notable similarities in people's ...

Psychedelic Drug Therapy May Help Treat Alcohol Addiction, Study Finds

Aug. 24, 2022 — Two doses of psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, reduces heavy drinking by 83 percent on average among heavy drinkers when combined with psychotherapy, a new study ...

Marijuana and Hallucinogen Use Among Young Adults Reached All Time-High in 2021

Aug. 22, 2022 — Marijuana and hallucinogen use in the past year reported by young adults 19 to 30 years old increased significantly in 2021 compared to five and 10 years ago, reaching historic highs in this age ...

New Study Estimates Over 5.5 Million U.S. Adults Use Hallucinogens

Aug. 18, 2022 — Hallucinogen use has increased since 2015, overall and particularly among adults 26 and older, while use decreased in adolescents aged 12-17 years according to a new study. Estimates of over 5.5 ...

Research Reveals Role of Genetic Variants on Psychedelics' Therapeutic Effects

July 27, 2022 — Researchers report that common genetic variations in one serotonin receptor could be a reason why people with psychiatric conditions, such as depression, respond differently to psychedelic ...

Psilocybin Rewires the Brain for People With Depression, Study Finds

Apr. 11, 2022 — Psilocybin fosters greater connections between different regions of the brain in depressed people, freeing them up from long-held patterns of rumination and excessive self-focus, according to a new ...

Research Helps Provide Scientific Framework for Psilocybin Use in Therapeutic Settings

Apr. 11, 2022 — A new paper provides a scientific framework to help shape the rollout of a program in Oregon that will legally permit the use of psilocybin for therapeutic ...

New Study Explores Relationship Between Psychedelics and Consciousness

Mar. 31, 2022 — A new study addresses the question of whether psychedelics might change the attribution of consciousness to a range of living and nonliving ...

Little Evidence on How Psilocybin Therapy Interacts With Existing Psychiatric Treatments, Review Finds

Mar. 18, 2022 — As Oregon embarks on a voter-approved initiative to permit psychoactive mushrooms in clinical use, a new systematic evidence review reveals a lack of scientific research describing the interactions ...