This November proved to be another fruitful month for psychedelic research. Psychedelics are being tested as a treatment for more and more mental ills. As this is done, it becomes ever more evident that psychedelics work on resolving an underlying issue. And that the classification (DSM/ICD) are but mere groups of symptoms that in some ways help us make sense of how mental health disorders manifest.
If you’re a student, researcher, or otherwise interested in psychedelic science, we have selected 10 publications for you to begin with. These papers will give you a solid foundation to start your psychedelic journey. You will gain an overview of psychedelic science’s state-of-the-art, the history of psychedelic exploration, the many applications of psychedelic substances in various research fields, and most importantly, their therapeutic potential.
This is all the other psychedelic research that came out in October 2020.
October was possibly the most active month this year for psychedelic research. Although none of the research might have made the big splash that a big double-blind trail does, these are all building blocks that further the psychedelic field.
This is all the other psychedelic research that came out in September 2020.
Psychedelics are being studied for use with many mental health disorders. This ranges from end-of-life anxiety and depression, to eating disorders, to demoralization in AIDS survivors. What underlies this work is the increased neuronal growth (flexibility in the brain) that psychedelics elicit. This needs to be done in conjunction with therapy though, and that is what most articles this month are about.
This is all the other psychedelic research that came out in August 2020.
Research slowed down a bit during this August, but still enough interesting things were found. The effect of 20 µg LSD on increasing pain tolerance was widely reported. This dosage is not psychedelic and not much above the ‘normal’ microdose range. More research on the pain-relieving (analgesic) effects of LSD in specific patient populations is the next logical step.
Each month I’m surprised by the large number of studies done with ketamine, especially when compared to the small number of psilocybin and MDMA studies. This month also features some of those, one comparing ketamine unfavorably to ECT. Psychedelics for anxiety disorder and psilocybin specifically for OCD are also reviewed. A small study with MDMA in Brazil is reported, and exploratory research with 5-MeO-DMT and ibogaine see extraordinary results for trauma with veterans.
Psychedelic trials are getting larger and the data is still looking good. The long-term follow-up of Phase II MDMA for PTSD continues to show benefits at the one-year mark. A meta-analysis of nine placebo-controlled trials also showed strong improvements. And for the first time ketamine was studied on a population of treatment-resistant bipolar depression.