After a legally mandated, decades-long global arrest of research on psychedelic drugs, investigation of psychedelics in the context of psychiatric disorders is yielding exciting results. Outcomes of neuroscience and clinical research into 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonists, such as psilocybin, show promise for addressing a range of serious disorders, including depression and addiction.
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Psilocybin: Good Trip Or Bad Trip
Much of the history of pharmacology and therapeutics involves finding new uses for old drugs. The latest rediscovery is that of psychedelic drugs. Since they can cause profound distortions of perception and were once used as part of religious ceremonies, such research may seem unusual at this time.
The 12 Most Important Drugs Shulgin Designed, Synthesised and Took
A homage to the Godfather of Ecstasy.
The Psychedelic Integration Scales: Tools for Measuring Psychedelic Integration Behaviors and Experiences
In this study, we describe the development and initial validation of two psychometric scales for measuring psychedelic integration. Psychedelic integration refers to the post-acute period of time following psychedelic drug administration. We created the Integration Engagement Scale (IES) to capture positive behavioral engagement with integration and the Experienced Integration Scale (EIS) to capture internal aspects of feeling integrated. These scales were developed to measure post-acute psychedelic administration dynamics in order to inform the creation of enhanced integration support and to help refine a general conceptual understanding of the construct of psychedelic integration. The scales are brief and face valid instruments designed for practical use in applied and research settings. Scale items were generated and refined using the Iterative Process Model of scale development, with input from psychedelics experts and clinicians. Content validity, internal structure, and reliability were assessed via expert surveys, content validity analysis, cognitive interviewing, convergent validity analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The data indicates the scales are valid and reliable measurements of the behavioral and experiential forms of Psychedelic Integration.
The Relationship Between Psychedelics and Consciousness
When beliefs change following psychedelic use in relation to mystical experiences, attributions of consciousness tend to increase.
Better Living Through Chemistry
Meet Your Psychedelic Godparents: If it weren’t for the hypocrisy of drug prohibition, everyone would know these names: Sasha Shulgin (1925 – 2014) was a chemist who discovered nearly 200 psychedelic substances. His wife and co-author, Ann Shulgin (1931 – 2022), was a lay therapist and a pioneer in the field of psychedelic psychotherapy. They lived near Berkeley, California, on a few acres known as ‘the Shulgin farm.’
Right around the time that Sasha died, ‘Scientific American’ called for further inquiries into psychedelic drugs. It also criticized American drug regulators for limiting access to LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), ecstasy (MDMA), and psilocybin. A few months later, ‘Science’ described how scientists were rediscovering psychedelics – both as objects of basic research and as therapeutic applications. The basic thrust was that “more and more researchers are turning back to psychedelics” to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, various addictions, and other categories of mental illness.
Now, a plan to legalize psychedelic drugs is taking hold around the world. With the psychedelic industry booming, investors, bankers, lawyers, scientists, marketers, and ambitious entrepreneurs are joining in the legalization effort. They’re calling it the biggest advancement in mental health since Prozac. Many have christened this moment a ’psychedelic renaissance.’
In addition to healing the sick, psychedelics may contribute to what has been called “the betterment of well people.” By telling the story of this extraordinary couple, this film is an exploration of that potential.
Dirty Pictures
Alexander ‘Sasha’ Shulgin is the scientist behind more than 200 psychedelic compounds including MDMA, more commonly known as Ecstasy. Considered to be one of the the greatest chemists of the twentieth century, Sasha’s vast array of discoveries has had a profound impact in the field of psychedelic research. ‘Dirty Pictures’ delves into the lifework of Dr. Shulgin and scientists alike, explores the world of these scientists; their findings and motivations, their ideas, and their beliefs as to how research in this particular field can aid in unlocking the complexities of the mind.
Ecopsychology and the psychedelic experience
From ecodelic triplit, the peyoteros’ sense of place, interspecies communication and animistic healing to ecocentric entheogenic rituals, psychedelic bioregionalism, biogenetic structuralist ecopsychology and transpersonal ecosophy – this special issue of the EJE explores the verdant intersection between neurobiology and botany, shamanism and animism, and psychology and ecology, fusing mind with Nature in a boiling cauldron full of entheogenic insight.
Effect Index
Effect Index serves as the platform for the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), a resource containing formalised documentation of the vast number of distinct subjective states that may occur under the influence of hallucinogens. We strive to comprehensively document and describe the wide variety of potential hallucinogenic experiences. The SEI is presented in an easily readable format that contains not only descriptions, but also image, video, and audio replications of these effects. We believe that in pioneering formalised subjective effect documentation, we may demystify the psychedelic experience. This has the potential to allow hallucinogen usage to become more culturally acceptable, better understood, and create a platform on top of which these substances may be more easily studied. Effect Index was initially founded as a side project on 30 June, 2017 by Josie Kins, the founder of PsychonautWiki and DisregardEverythingISay. It serves as a platform for content that has been in constant development for the previous six years on these sites. However, the aforementioned content is now hosted on its own dedicated platform with the hope of further spreading the documentation and creating a universal terminology set that gives people the vernacular to fully describe experiences that were previously considered ineffable.
Use patterns and self-reported effects of Salvia divinorum: An internet-based survey
Background There is growing use of Salvia divinorum (SD), a psychoactive plant that produces hallucinogen-like effects through a kappa opioid receptor (KOR) mechanism. Little is known about KOR agonist effects in humans and about users of SD. Objectives To characterize the reasons, methods, and reported consequences of SD use. Methods Individuals reading SD-related pages of a drug-information website were invited to anonymously complete an online questionnaire if they had used SD. Results Participants (N = 500) were 92.6% male and 23.4 ± 8.7 (mean ± s.d.) years old. They had used a median of six times (range 1–250). 80.6% probably or definitely would use SD again. Most participants (92.6%) typically smoked or vaporized SD product. When smoked, the drug’s main effects were estimated to last 14.1 ± 12.8 (range 0.5–120) minutes. When asked to compare SD effects to other methods of altering consciousness, the most common answer was that SD was unique (38.4%). 25.8% reported persisting (≥24 h) positive effects (often described as increased sense of well-being) on at least one occasion. 4.4% reported persisting negative effects (most often anxiety). Conclusions SD is typically smoked, acute effects are brief, and persistent adverse effects are uncommon. In addition to acute hallucinogenic effects, SD may produce subacute increases in subjective well-being. Such a subacute effect would be unusual for a drug that is used non-medically, as withdrawal from other drugs typically either does not affect mood or causes dysphoria. Findings from this convenience sample should be confirmed and extended using surveys of random samples and controlled clinical studies.