Category: Psychology & personality
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New Study Identifies Link Between Personality Traits And Psychedelic Experiences
Magic mushrooms, LSD, and other psychedelic drugs are known to produce an array of mind-altering effects, ranging from complete ego dissolution to strange encounters with otherworldly entities. The highly idiosyncratic nature of these experiences makes it difficult for scientists to draw any definitive conclusions regarding the outcomes of taking these substances, although new research indicates […]
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Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy produces large, rapid, and sustained antidepressant effects
BY ERIC W. DOLAN NOVEMBER 29, 2020 Combining the psychedelic drug psilocybin with supportive psychotherapy results in substantial rapid and enduring antidepressant effects among patients with major depressive disorder, according to a new randomized clinical trial. The findings have been published in JAMA Psychiatry. The new study provides more evidence that psilocybin, a compound found in so-called magic […]
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Psychedelics as health and wellness aid? Not a hallucination
“People are now coming out of the psychedelic closet, but it’s a risk you take,” said Melissa Lavasani, who led decriminalization efforts in Washington, D.C. Bolstered by a growing body of research and greater acceptance of cannabis for recreation and medicine, psychedelics are experiencing a renaissance as voters and lawmakers rethink the so-called war on […]
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CAN A PILL CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT BASIC ISSUES IN LIFE?
An Oxford researcher into psychedelics thinks so. Eddie Jacobs offers a disturbing premise, “What if a pill can change your politics or religious beliefs?” The background is that some jurisdictions are contemplating licencing the otherwise illegal psychedelic psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) in the near future as a treatment for depression. He writes, How would you feel about a new therapy for your […]
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New psychedelic research sheds light on why psilocybin-containing mushrooms have been consumed for centuries
BY ERIC W. DOLAN JULY 15, 2020 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter A new study from the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine provides insight into the psychoactive effects that distinguish psilocybin from other hallucinogenic substances. The findings suggest that feelings of spiritual and/or psychological insight play an important role in the […]
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Combining therapy with the psychedelic drug psilocybin results in large reductions in anxiety and depression
BY BETH ELLWOOD JUNE 18, 2020 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic compound found in so-called “magic mushrooms”. A recent meta-analysis published in Psychiatry Research provides tentative support for psilocybin in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Researchers have made important advancements when it comes to the treatment of depression and anxiety, including both pharmacological and […]
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A single high dose of psilocybin alters brain function up to one month later
BY ERIC W. DOLAN APRIL 7, 2020 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New research provides evidence that the active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms can affect brain processes related to emotional functioning long after the substance has left one’s body. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, shed new light on the long-term effects of psilocybin. Rather than examining […]
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Single dose of psilocybin associated with increased mindfulness three months later
BY ERIC W. DOLAN MARCH 14, 2020 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New research provides evidence that a single psilocybin dose can result in long-term increases in mindfulness, even in the absence of explicit mindfulness training. The study, published in European Neuropsychopharmacology, suggests that these changes in mindfulness are related to changes in the serotonin 2A receptor, one […]
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Neuroscience study uncovers psilocybin-induced changes in brain connectivity
BY ERIC W. DOLAN JANUARY 20, 2020 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter SHARE New research published in Biological Psychology sheds light on the neurophysiological underpinnings of the psychedelic experience. The study provides new details about how psilocybin — the active component in “magic” mushrooms — changes the communication patterns between regions of the brain. “Psychedelics are currently being investigated […]
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Psilocybin-assisted mindfulness meditation linked to brain connectivity changes and persisting positive effects
BY ERIC W. DOLAN AUGUST 17, 2019 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter SHARE New research indicates that psilocybin-assisted mindfulness meditation is associated with changes in functional brain connectivity — and these changes are related to an altered state of consciousness known as ego dissolution. The findings appear in the journal NeuroImage. A team of scientists from […]
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A single dose of psilocybin enhances creative thinking and empathy up to seven days after use, study finds
BY ERIC W. DOLAN MARCH 7, 2019 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter SHARE New research provides more evidence that psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can improve creative thinking, empathy, and subjective well-being. The findings appear in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. “In the last decade, there has been a renewed scientific interest in the utility of […]
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Psilocybin makes cancer patients see their loved ones in a new light
BY ERIC W. DOLAN SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter SHARE New research sheds light on why the psychedelic drug psilocybin helps to lessen the mental anguish experienced by people with advanced cancer. “The findings of the study support the conclusion that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is well accepted by participants and constitutes a promising intervention for […]
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People who microdose psychedelic drugs report that the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks
SHARE People who take microdoses of psychedelic drugs consistently report that it results in improved mood and creativity, while having few side effects, according to new research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Study author Rotem Petranker, director of the Canadian Centre for Psychedelic Science, and his colleagues noticed a growing public interest in taking sub-threshold doses of […]
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The rich history and promising future of psychedelic therapy
Hosted by Jonathan Bastian Oct. 24, 2020 HEALTH & WELLNESS Psilocybin mushroomsPhoto by Shutterstock Psychedelics have been used for thousands of years but in a provocative new book “The Immortality Key” author Brian Muraresku explores their impact on early Western civilization. Were the ancient Greeks, Romans and early Chrisitians influenced in their religious practices by psychedelics? Psilocybin, known […]
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Take a trip: it’s for your mental health
Take a trip: it’s for your mental health BY: AUTUMN HYATT ON: NOVEMBER 5, 2020 IN: HEALTH, HEALTH AND RECREATION Autumn Hyatt agreer@uccs.edu Disclaimer: Sources contributing to this story are editors at the Scribe. The views and opinions expressed by Flannery and Webb are their own and not reflective of the position of the Scribe as an organization. “The next morning, it was the first time I did not […]
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International study finds 79% of individuals who microdose with psychedelics report improvements in their mental health
A study published in Psychopharmacology suggests that people may turn to microdosing with psychedelics in an attempt to improve their mental health. According to most self-reports, these attempts may be effective. Interest in psychedelic drugs as a potential treatment option for mental health disorders has been steadily increasing. One reason for the upsurge in interest might be […]
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What if a Pill Can Change Your Politics or Religious Beliefs?
A new mental health treatment using the psychedelic compound psilocybin raises questions about medicine and values By Eddie Jacobs on October 11, 2020 “Magic” mushrooms, a source of psilocybin. Credit: Joe Amon Getty Images How would you feel about a new therapy for your chronic pain, which—although far more effective than any available alternative—might also change your religious beliefs? Or […]
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Study suggests psilocybin can positively change emotions and brain function long-term
Emma Stone October 26, 2020 Over time, it’s easy to become entrenched in how we view and move through the world. Firing up the same well-worn neural pathways becomes effortless, leading most of us to live more confined existences than we’d like to admit. For some, these ingrained habits may be a preference for a […]