Misc. news stories

A new study published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality explores how psychedelic experiences relate to people’s spiritual struggles. Some participants associated their experiences with a sense of spiritual growth, while others described feelings of disconnection or confusion. The findings suggest that psychedelics may be associated with both the intensification and resolution of spiritual conflict, depending on individual differences and the nature of the experience

An online survey of ayahuasca users found that non-religious individuals tend to become more religious after experiencing entity encounters while under the influence of the substance. Although men were less likely to be religious before these experiences, gender differences in religious beliefs disappeared after the encounters. The research was published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

Yet another attempt to inject sanity into Britain’s archaic drug laws has failed. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, last month accepted Lord Falconer’s modest proposal to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis. He was stamped on yet again by that citadel of reaction, the Home Office, and its boss, Yvette Cooper.

An elusive fungus capable of generating quantities of a compound used to synthesize the hallucinogen LSD has finally been discovered on the morning glory vine after decades of searching. The research is published in Mycologia.

A new study published in Molecular Psychiatry provides preliminary evidence that cannabidiol, a compound derived from cannabis, may reduce cognitive decline and brain pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.

Data and findings are not always shared openly in science. Sometimes, researchers hoard those data and provide little to no access to colleagues from their field…The so-called “Gollum effect” hampers collaborations and harms the careers of less established researchers, claims the team.Their results are published in the journal One Earth.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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)

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

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.