Misc. news stories

The Hidden Spring by Mark Solms review – the riddle of consciousness solved?
6th February 2021 | theguardian.com | Humans, Misc.

I feel therefore I am … In this fascinating study, a neuropsychologist argues that the mystery of consciousness centres on emotions

Stroke victims to be given psychedelic drug DMT in groundbreaking study
6th February 2021 metro.co.uk | Humans, Misc.

Psychedelic drug DMT could help stroke victims recover by rewiring their brains faster, according the first clinical trial of its kind.

Oregon law to decriminalize all drugs goes into effect, offering addicts rehab instead of prison
3rd February 2021 eu.usatoday.com | Humans, Misc.

Gullickson, executive director of the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon…. pushed for the passage of Measure 110,first-of-its-kind legislation that decriminalizes the possession of all illegal drugs in Oregon, including heroin, cocaine, meth and oxycodone.

Psychedelics as Antidepressants
1st February 2021 | scientificamerican.com | Humans, Misc.

The treatments of the future may arise from a long-stigmatized class of drugs

Your brain on LSD: a guide through the most mind-blowing psychedelics research
29th January 2021 | sciencefocus.com | Humans, Misc.

Professor David Nutt explains recent scientific discoveries – and how substances like LSD have influenced creative breakthroughs.

How ecstasy and psilocybin are shaking up psychiatry
29th January 2021 | nature.com | Humans, Misc.

Regulators will soon grapple with how to safely administer powerful psychedelics for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

LSD may offer viable treatment for certain mental disorders
27th January 2021 medicalxpress.com | Humans, Misc.

Researchers from McGill University have discovered, for the first time, one of the possible mechanisms that contributes to the ability of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to increase social interaction

Why All Drugs Should be Legal
25th January 2021 doubleblindmag.com | Humans, Misc.

Neuroscientist Dr. Carl talks drug addiction, legalization, the opioid crisis, and more in a discussion about his new book “Drug Use for Grown-Ups”

The Problems with the Government’s New Drug Announcement
22nd January 2021 | vice.com | Humans, Misc.

New cash for the UK’s growing drug problem is welcome. But help for drug users is skewed by the government’s old drug war mantra.

Unique magic mushroom microdosing study to begin in Australia
21st January 2021 newatlas.com | Humans, Misc.

The research promises to be the first exploration of naturalistic psilocybin microdosing in a lab-setting using a cutting-edge neuroimaging technique and a unique kind of trial protocol.

Image from: https://www.needpix.com (Wiki Commons)

The public’s perception of the harms of magic mushrooms is in line with science — but not with the law
19th January 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

New research suggests that the public’s perception of the potential harms of magic mushrooms is not in line with drug laws. The study, which appears in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found that psilocybin-containing mushrooms are considered less dangerous than alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.

Brain imaging study reveals blunted empathic response to others’ pain when following orders
15th January 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A brain imaging study has found that inflicting pain on another person in compliance with an order is accompanied by reduced activation in parts of the brain associated with the perception of others’ pain.

Image from: Martin420 (Wiki Commons)

Psilocybin produces an immunology-related genetic response in the prefrontal cortex of pig brains
14th January 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

Psilocybin does not appear to severely impact gene expression, according to a new study published in European Neuropsychopharmacology. But the psychedelic substance — which is found in “magic” mushrooms — might produce lasting changes to the expression of a few immune-related genes in the brain.

Here’s What Happens When Animals Eat LSD
11th January 2021 doubleblindmag.com | Animal Life, Humans, Misc.

Hippies and other early psychonauts weren’t the only ones dropping acid back in the Sixties and Seventies. Several animals also had the experience of dabbling with LSD, courtesy of the scientists who wanted to see what effects it would have on various species. The results of those tests ranged from bizarre to tragic.

Miscellaneous news stories.