Category: Research
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Psilocybin May be the Answer to Autism and a Healthy Microbiome An Interview with Scientist & Researcher Marvin S. Hausman, MD
Dr. Marvin Hausman is Chairman of Nova Mentis’ Scientific Advisory Board and is leading their research and development efforts in medicinal psychedelics. Dr. Hausman is an immunologist and board-certified urological surgeon with more than 30 years of drug research and development experience with various pharmaceutical companies, including Bristol-Myers International, Mead-Johnson Pharmaceutical Co., E.R. Squibb, Medco…
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How long do shrooms or psilocybin stay in your system?
Magic mushrooms, or “shrooms,” are a type of mushroom containing psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound. The length of time shrooms stay in a person’s system depends on many factors, including the strength of the mushroom, dose, and the individual’s body. People may take shrooms for spiritual or recreational purposes. Its hallucinogenic compounds can induce intense and…
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Psychedelics Show Promise for Treating Dementia
“…this stands up to scientific rigor and is worthy of further exploration.” JANUARY 26, 2021 – BY NATE SELTENRICH Among the many medical and therapeutic applications of psychedelics being explored in labs and boardrooms today, Alzheimer’s disease has maintained a relatively low profile. But that may be changing, thanks in part to a review article published last summer…
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The Top 10 Psilocybin Research Papers of 2020
Changes in brain functioning, new synthesis methods, and psychotherapy dominate this year’s most-cited psilocybin papers. DECEMBER 30, 2020 – BY BARBARA E. BAUER, MS As 2020 draws to a close, Psychedelic Science Review is acknowledging the work that psychedelic researchers published this year. Last year, we presented the Top 10 psilocybin research papers for the last 20 years. Now, PSR recognizes…
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Preliminary Findings from Our Real World Psilocybin Mushroom Study
We are excited to reveal some preliminary results of our ongoing Real-World Psilocybin Mushroom Study which we are conducting in collaboration with the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins Medicine. After about four months of recruitment, we have around 2500 participants from all over the world. We can’t express our gratitude enough for those who…
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Clinical trial explores psychedelic treatments for PTSD in veterans
25th November 2020 A company exploring the efficacy of psychedelic treatments for PTSD in veterans has announced the international expansion of its Phase 2A clinical trials. The Mydecine trials are exploring psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. The purpose of the trials is to explore how the…
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Can Psychedelics Boost Brain Growth Factor Levels?
Research suggests that BDNF can help rewire and overwrite stubborn neural pathways by creating new connections that facilitate more flexible and adaptive thoughts and behaviours. Psychedelics appear to tap into this mechanism. OCTOBER 11, 2020 – BY LILY ALEKSANDROVA, MSC, PHD Our ability to adapt to and survive in an ever-changing environment largely depends on our brain’s ability…
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Psychedelics as Anti-Inflammatory Agents
A look into the less discussed therapeutic aspect of psychedelics: the anti-inflammatory effect. NOVEMBER 14, 2019 – BY SHANE O’CONNOR, MS In recent years, compounds that act as agonists (aka activators) at the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2A) have emerged as a prominent therapy for several disorders including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and addiction.¹⁻³ The recently discovered therapeutic…
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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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Psilocybin may help treat depression, a small study finds
Benefits of the compound, found in psychedelic mushrooms, lasted a month Two doses of psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, eased people’s depression symptoms, researchers found.ALEXANDER_VOLKOV/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS By Laura Sanders NOVEMBER 17, 2020 AT 6:00 AM Hallucinogenic mushrooms’ key ingredient, psilocybin, can swiftly and dramatically ease depression in the right therapeutic setting, a small…
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Microdosing Psychedelics Is Trendy, But Does It Work? Here’s What Science Says
Amanda Siebert, Contributor Preliminary studies, reviews and anecdotal reports suggest microdosing with psychedelics may have … [+] GETTY Psychedelics have returned from the fringes and entered the mainstream in a huge way, whether through successful ballot initiatives, on the stock market or in Silicon Valley. But today, it’s not profoundly visual, earth-shattering trips like the ones that inspired Steve Jobs to create the…
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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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Psilocybin increases the expression neuroplasticity-related genes in rats
Psilocybin rapidly increases the expression of several genes related to neuroplasticity in the rat brain, according to new research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. The new findings might help explain the underlying neurobiological mechanisms responsible for long-lasting changes associated with psychedelic drug use. “Psilocybin induces remarkable subjective effects, but has been largely ignored, scientifically, for many…
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Medicine Study: Already two doses of psilocybin relieve the symptoms of major depression
by Bhavi Mandalia November 10, 2020 Two doses of psilocybin in conjunction with psychotherapy help relieve the symptoms of major depression quickly, according to a recent study by Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Psilocybin is a psychedelic substance that causes aberrant, dreamy states of consciousness. It occurs naturally in some fungi. The study was published in…
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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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More Evidence Magic Mushroom Ingredient May Help Treat Depression
As voters in Oregon and DC opt to decriminalize psilocybin, there is growing evidence that the active compound in “magic,” or hallucinogenic, mushrooms might benefit individuals with moderate to severe depression—at least when used alongside psychotherapy under a doctor’s supervision. “The findings that we have in our study, we believe, are related to the fact that it was in a…
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Another Study Shows Psychedelic Psilocybin Mushrooms Offering Long-Term Relief From Depressive Symptoms
In another study on the use of psychedelic compounds as medicine, two doses of psilocybin—the compound that gives “magic mushrooms” their magic—was found to significantly reduce major depressive symptoms in adults when it was combined with assisted psychotherapy. 24 adults were included in the small study that consisted of two five-hour psilocybin therapy sessions and…
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Single dose of psilocybin relieves anxiety and depression in patients with advanced cancer
BY NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DECEMBER 1, 2016 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter When combined with psychological counseling, a single dose of a mind-altering compound contained in psychedelic mushrooms significantly lessens mental anguish in distressed cancer patients for months at a time, according to results of a clinical trial led by researchers at NYU Langone…
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Psilocybin increases the success of smoking-addiction treatment, research suggests
BY PSYPOST OCTOBER 3, 2016 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter SHARE The use of the psychedelic drug psilocybin, in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is more effective than current smoking cessation treatments, according to a recent study published online this July in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The study provides preliminary evidence that psilocybin-use,…
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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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We Could Be Taking Psychedelics to Help Treat Mental Illness in Just Five Years
BY KASHMIRA GANDER ON 4/7/20 AT 12:53 PM EDT HEALTHPSYCHEDELIC DRUGSPSYCHIATRYLSDMAGIC MUSHROOMS Psychedelic drugs could be commonly used to treat mental health patients in as little as half a decade, according to a leading expert in the field. David Nutt, professor and neuropharmacologist at Imperial College London and former U.K. government drug adviser, told Newsweek he believes we are “less than five…
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Psychedelics: a game-changer in mental health?
Allie Nawrat 20 August 2020 (Last Updated August 21st, 2020 15:39) Psychedelics have been used throughout history for medical purposes. After going out of favour in the 1960s and 1970s, they have begun to return to the mainstream as rigorous clinical trials have demonstrated their potential as treatment for unmet needs in mental health. Allie…
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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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Psychedelic treatment with psilocybin relieves major depression, a study shows
Photo credit: CC0 Public Domain In a small study in adults with severe depression, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that two doses of the psychedelic substance psilocybin given with supportive psychotherapy resulted in rapid and severe reductions in depressive symptoms, with most participants showing improvement and half of the study participants achieved remission…
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‘Magic’ mushrooms could treat long-term depression 4 times better than anti-depressants, study finds
Julia Naftulin Nov 5, 2020, 7:27 PM Snapchat FILE – in this Aug. 3, 2007, file photo magic mushrooms are seen in a grow room at the Procare farm in Hazerswoude, central Netherlands. PETER DEJONG/ASSOCIATED PRESS The first-ever randomized controlled trial of long-term depression patients who took psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in “magic” mushrooms, found the…
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The case for funding psychedelics to treat mental health
The case for funding psychedelics to treat mental health Scientists are developing psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, into a treatment for depression. By Sigal Samuel Oct 9, 2020, 1:30pm EDT Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is being investigated as a potential treatment for depression. Getty Images/iStockphoto This story is part of a group of…
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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…
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Clinical Study Shows Hallucinogenic Magic Mushroom Compound Psilocybin Relieves Depression
A small study of adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers has found that two doses of a psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms,” can produce large reductions in depressive symptoms, when administered with supportive psychotherapy. The randomized, waiting list-controlled clinical trial involved 24 participants diagnosed with MDD, who weren’t…
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‘Magic mushroom’ ingredient could work as mental health treatment
By Katie Hunt, CNN Updated 1712 GMT (0112 HKT) November 7, 2020 (CNN)While magic mushrooms are known for their hallucinogenic effects, they may also have a role to play in the treatment of some mental health treatment.Or they might, if they weren’t illegal in most states.Oregon has become the first US state to make psilocybin, the…