Misc. news stories

Legislative restrictions have made it difficult to obtain government funding for psychedelic research, but now corporations are stepping up to fund clinical trials. Although this support may help accelerate researchers’ understanding of psychedelics, it also sparks concern as a conflict of interest.

The phenomenon of “cancel culture” has become a prominent feature of online discourse, where individuals or brands are publicly called out and boycotted for perceived transgressions. A recent study published in the journal Acta Psychologica explored the psychological underpinnings of why some people are more inclined to engage in canceling behaviors than others

In a recent study, researchers at Imperial College London investigated the complex relationship between psychedelics and mental health, highlighting the potential risks for people with personality disorders.

A study on mice has revealed that ayahuasca acts as a potent analgesic without causing any detectable toxic effects. This analgesic property is partly due to harmine, a significant component of ayahuasca. The findings were published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

Social media buzz and advertising claims have painted the cannabis derivative THC-O-acetate (THC-Oac) as a substance capable of delivering psychedelic experiences akin to LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. However, a recent study led by researchers at the University at Buffalo and published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs presents a different narrative, debunking these claims through scientific inquiry.

A recent study has shown that even very low doses of LSD can enhance the complexity of brain activity, a finding that might have significant implications for our understanding of consciousness and possibly for therapeutic applications.

Some physicists have long suspected that mysterious ‘ghost’ particles in the world around us could greatly advance our understanding of the true nature of the Universe.

A recent study published in Science Advances sheds light on why certain rhythms make us want to dance more than others. By analyzing brain activity and the sensation known as ‘groove,’ researchers discovered that a rhythm of moderate complexity triggers the highest desire to move.

A recent study examined the role of patient expectations in influencing the outcomes of treatments with psilocybin, a psychedelic substance, compared to escitalopram, a widely prescribed antidepressant. Contrary to what some might expect, the study did not find a significant link between patients’ expectations and their actual responses to psilocybin therapy.

Four years ago, the state decriminalized all drugs. Now it’s trying to course-correct — and might make a mistake in the process.

A recent study published in Scientific Reports reveals new insights into how psilocybin-assisted therapy modifies brain function in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). These changes suggest a potential mechanism behind the therapy’s success and could point toward new avenues for treatment.

In a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers led by Otto Simonsson of Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Clinical Neuroscience have cast new light on the controversial topic of psychedelic drug use among adolescents.

Psilocybe mushrooms appear to have started producing psilocybin roughly 67 million years ago, right around the dinosaurs’ demise, new research shows.

A recent study sheds light on the relationship between moral values and political affiliations, revealing that the standards of morality people apply in political contexts may differ significantly from those in personal spheres.

Nestled within the photosynthetic, or light-eating, tissue of the boreal trees – and within the bountiful cloud-like lichens and feathery mosses that carpet the ground between them – are fungi. These fungi are endophytes, meaning they live within plants, often in a mutually beneficial arrangement. See the research here.

Studies at MIT and elsewhere are producing mounting evidence that light flickering and sound clicking at the gamma brain rhythm frequency of 40 Hz can reduce Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression and treat symptoms in human volunteers as well as lab mice. See the new study in Nature.