Misc. news stories

The rise of psychedelic capitalism: Work harder and be happy about it?
20th May 2025 theconversation.com | Humans, Misc.

Once stigmatized and outlawed, psychedelics are moving from the counterculture to the mainstream…Psychedelics are becoming big business. Just as private capital flooded the cannabis sector years ago, a psychedelic gold rush is underway.

Scientists reveal how DMT alters brain activity and consciousness by lowering control energy
14th May 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A new study published in Communications Biology sheds light on how the psychedelic compound DMT changes the brain’s dynamic behavior. Researchers found that DMT reduces the amount of energy the brain needs to switch between different activity states.

A dose of psilocybin stirred the brain of a barely conscious woman
8th May 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A new case report published in Clinical Neurophysiology describes the first known administration of psilocybin—a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms—to a woman in a minimally conscious state.

Brazilian Psychedelic Plant Emerges as Potential Depression Treatment
8th May 2025 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans, Misc.

Long used in Indigenous Brazilian rituals, the jurema preta plant, which contains a potent psychedelic, is gaining ground as a potential treatment for depression. The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature in April.

Unexpected results from a ketamine study might reshape depression research
6th May 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has found that chronic opioid use may interfere with the brain’s ability to generate a placebo antidepressant response, but does not seem to reduce the effectiveness of ketamine.

Psilocybin shows promise for improving mood, cognition, and motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease
2nd May 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A small pilot study has found that psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, may improve not only mood but also cognitive and motor symptoms in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. The results surprised the research team, who initially aimed only to evaluate the drug’s safety. Instead, participants experienced noticeable improvements that lasted for weeks following a single high-dose session.

My fight to unlock cannabis and psychedelic drugs for use in medical research
30th April 2025 | nature.com | Humans, Misc.

Physician Sue Sisley battles to study cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms for pain, addiction and PTSD.

Study finds psychedelics can reverse neuroimmune interactions that boost fear
24th April 2025 | eurekalert.org | Humans, Misc.

Mass General Brigham researchers found that interactions between immune and brain cells drive fear responses, but treatment with psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin may reverse these effects. Results are published in Nature.

Image by Matthew W. Johnson (Wiki Commons)

Trip-free acid: LSD analogue a new schizophrenia treatment?
18th April 2025 cosmosmagazine.com | Humans, Misc.

Scientists have cooked up a non-hallucinogenic version of LSD, which they say has “extremely high therapeutic potential” for conditions like schizophrenia.

Scientists find genetic basis for how much people enjoy music
31st March 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A new twin study published in Nature Communications provides evidence that how much people enjoy music is partly influenced by genetic factors. Researchers found that over half the variation in people’s sensitivity to musical pleasure can be traced back to genetic differences.

New study shows LSD changes brain connectivity in unique ways compared to MDMA and amphetamines
28th March 2025 sp-ao.shortpixel.ai | Humans, Misc.

A new brain imaging study has revealed that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) alters brain connectivity in ways that are notably different from methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) and d-amphetamine…The research was published in Molecular Psychiatry.

The Colorado psychedelic mushroom experiment has arrived
26th March 2025 abcnews.go.com | Humans, Misc.

Colorado regulators are issuing licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms and are planning to authorize the state’s first “healing centers,” where the mushrooms can be ingested under supervision, in late spring or early summer.

Can ibogaine repair brain damage in multiple sclerosis? New case reports spark interest
24th March 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

In a recent case report published in Frontiers in Immunology, scientists in Canada described how an experimental treatment using a naturally derived substance called ibogaine appeared to improve symptoms and brain health in two individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Ketamine shows promise for treatment-resistant PTSD in psychedelic-style therapy settings
20th March 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology suggests that intravenous ketamine, when administered in a setting that mirrors psychedelic-assisted therapy, can lead to substantial and sustained reductions in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Psilocybin increases emotional empathy in depressed individuals, study finds
3rd March 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A study conducted in Switzerland examined changes in empathy among depressed individuals following a single dose of psilocybin. Participants who received psilocybin demonstrated substantial improvements in emotional empathy compared to the control group, which received a placebo. These improvements lasted for at least two weeks after treatment. The paper was published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Little-known psychedelic drug reduces motivation to take heroin in rats, study finds
4th February 2025 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A study on rats found that administering 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine before giving them an opportunity to take heroin reduced their motivation to do so…The study also identified a specific type of receptor on neural cells that is crucial for this effect. The paper was published in Neuropharmacology.

Miscellaneous news stories.