Category Archives: Psychedelics

The heart is a fickle thing, but it may be best to keep it that way. In a recent preprint article, still awaiting peer review, Imperial College London researchers Fernando Rosas and Pedro Mediano reveal how the heart behaves under psychedelics, dynamically interacting with the brain in unique ways that may promote well-being. Drawing on multiple data sets for psilocybin, ketamine, DMT, and LSD, the researchers analyzed correlations between brain activity, subjective effects, and three measures of cardiac activity in humans: heart rate, heart-rate variability, and heart-rate entropy. Their findings suggest that by knowing the heart, we can better know the mind.

When it comes to modeling psychedelic brain effects, neuroscientists tend to view heart rate and other peripheral physiological changes as mere byproducts of the experience, irrelevant to understanding how altered states of consciousness are constructed, let alone how psychedelics might improve mental health. After all, its common knowledge that many psychoactive drugs, including psychedelics, can increase heart rate (the number of beats per minute), so why should the line of inquiry go any further?

For good reason, as it turns out. Thanks to advances in neuroscience, we now know that the heart can influence cognition, including emotion, time perception, social interaction, and sense of self. In fact, selfhood itself may be grounded in the integration of internal signals, especially heartbeats, into the brains representation of the body. And when it comes to influencing selfhood, not all beats are created equal.

In order to support the body in balancing fight or flight with rest and digest, one important thing the heart does under normal conditions is behave erratically. Although it may feel like your heart beats rather consistently, it actually varies by a fraction each time, even when youre at rest. This variation in time between beats is called heart rate variability (HRV), and its important for adapting to change. The pattern of HRV differs for each person, like a fingerprint, and can shift depending on the time of day, season, and other factors. Overall higher HRV has been firmly linked to greater health, as it seems to reflect the ability of an organism to flexibly adapt to complex environmental circumstances. Meanwhile, lower variability has been linked to illness. Good sleep, physical exercise, and positive social interaction have been shown to increase HRV, while depression, schizophrenia, and other conditions have been associated with reduced HRV. The heart, it seems, is fundamental to conscious experience.

Still, most theories of how psychedelics work have focused on the brain, broadly neglecting the rest of the body. Another view, Rosas and Mediano write, is that autonomic changes (i.e. changes in involuntary bodily functions) are part of the experience itself, and therefore bearers of signal rather than noise.

It was on this basis that Rosas and his team which includes University College London neuroscientist and cardiac researcher Sarah Garfinkel sought to investigate the link between brain and heart in psychedelic experience. They wanted to know: Do psychedelics increase HRV as well as heart rate, or do something else to the heart entirely? Even more intriguingly, would these cardiac markers predict subjective experience? They already had a few clues to work with. Since previous research has shown that psychedelics increase brain entropy, which is a measure of the variability of conscious states (more diverse and less typical patterns of activity), they wondered whether psychedelics might also diversify patterns of heart activity. This variability of HRV variability of variability, if you will is called heart-rate entropy (HRE).

Entropy measures not the prevalence of specific patterns, but the diversity of patterns in heart rate fluctuations, Rosas told Big Think. I like thinking that entropy doesnt look for patterns but looks for patterns of patterns.

To measure HRV, you need to identify the shape of the pattern. To measure HRE, you dont necessarily need to know what the HRV pattern looks like exactly just how diverse it is.

Two subjects may display entirely different shapes in their patterns of fluctuation, but for the entropy this is not a problem, as it just assesses how broad the repertoire of patterns of each subject are.

If psychedelics increased heart-rate entropy, the team wondered, would these changes be correlated with increases in brain entropy, and could that tell them something about the therapeutic effects of psychedelics?

First, the research team showed that, compared to placebo, all psychedelic compounds ketamine, psilocybin, LSD, and DMT did, in fact, increase HR, HRV, and HRE.

Next, to take a closer look at the dynamic relationship between heart activity, brain activity, and subjective experience, they pulled aside the DMT data set for analysis. They chose this data set for two reasons. Because a DMT trip takes less than 20 minutes, the data set gave Rosas and his team a good glimpse of what high variability over a relatively short time could look like. This set also provided them with rich psychological ratings associated with various subjective dimensions of the experience, gathered from questionnaires. (As a side note, the psilocybin and ketamine data sets were excluded from the following analyses as they couldnt provide the same insight into the dynamics of a trip, covering only a small portion of what is a much longer trip.)

The researchers found that heart-rate entropy predicted changes in brain entropy much better than HR and HRV, with substantial correlation 0 to 5 minutes (peak experience) and 9 to 12 minutes after injection. Although heart-rate entropy waxes and wanes similarly to the mean heart rate, it has very distinctive predictive properties, Rosas says. Even if their dynamics may look similar, they seem to be capturing rather different processes.

In fact, each autonomic marker had very distinctive predictive power over dimensions of the DMT experience as it unfolded, explaining up to 70% of the variation between subjects. For example, the intensity of experience was dominated by HR, challenging experience by HR entropy, and complex imagery alternating between HRV, HR, and entropy at different times.

That said, Rosas cautions against over-interpreting the findings.

This is an explorative analysis on a small sample size, which we think should be taken as a proof of principle that this works, he says. Larger studies should be carried out to find out what autonomic feature is most associated with what psychological dimension.

Next, they examined the LSD data set, which was larger (20 subjects under drug and placebo in four different environmental conditions), to see whether heart-rate entropy and brain entropy were simply co-occurring phenomena, or whether they each contributed in their own way to the subjective experience. As the LSD dataset used MEG and structural MRI rather than the low-density EEG of the DMT data set, they were also able to extract spatial information to tell them which parts of the brain showed this entropic link (as it turns out, the precuneus, mid cingulate, and sensorimotor areas, specifically).

What they found is that different features of the LSD experience simple and complex imagery, positive mood, intensity of the experience, ego dissolution, and emotional arousal correlated in distinct ways with different biomarkers (heart and brain). For example, brain entropy was the strongest predictor of simple and complex imagery, while HR entropy was the strongest predictor of positive mood. But when taken together, positive correlations between heart and brain biomarkers were even more predictive of various states, suggesting that knowing the state of the autonomic system substantially increases predictive power over subjective scores.

Subscribe for counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday

The predictive power of autonomic markers is not redundant with the predictive power of brain entropy, Rosas says, but seems to be synergistic. In other words, heart activity doesnt just reflect brain activity its an integral part of the picture, contributing its own pieces to the puzzle of the psychedelic state. Better predictions of the psychological effects of LSD can be attained by considering models which include both brain and heart signatures, and their interactions.

So, what could all this mean for mental health? For starters, you might say hearts were behaving rather strangely in these data sets, and thats a good thing.

The patterns of heart activity we were seeing with psychedelics was quite special, Dr. Garfinkel told Big Think. To get such striking rises in both heart rate and heart rate variability together is an unusual profile, typically only seen under conditions of intense joy and euphoria.

In most cases, if heart rate increases, HRV decreases. This happens every time you exercise, for example. Whats more, in schizophrenia and some cases of depression, brain entropy is increased while HRV is reduced. To see simultaneous increases in brain entropy, heart rate, and heart entropy was fairly remarkable.

As we are increasingly recognizing that cardiac signatures and their interactions with the brain are potentially pivotal for guiding emotional states, Garfinkel said, this relatively unique signature may be integral in helping us understand the body-brain dynamics underscoring the therapeutic and beneficial effects of psychedelics.

The next obvious step would be to disentangle the relationship between brain effects and HRV for example, by determining whether the heart itself could be driving, not just responding to, psychedelic states. Motivated by this possibility, Rosas said, I dont like the simplistic view that the heart is nothing more than a blood pump, but Id like to be able to support counter-arguments on empirical evidence.

In future studies, Rosas believes causality could first be investigated without psychedelics by employing animal models to perform pharmacological or other interventions, altering one system or the other to see what happens with the coupling. Whats most exciting to him, for now, is that focusing on the heart could change the way psychedelic scientists work: Collecting large samples of ECG data related to psychedelics is far easier, less invasive, and more cost-effective than brain imaging.

While the team acknowledges that the uniqueness of this entropic heart effect could be partly due to its difficulty to elicit in a laboratory setting (thus making it relatively absent from the research literature), they also offer another more heartening possibility: This peculiar autonomic signature may be associated with the very special state of mind often associated with psychedelic experiences, related to expansion, connection, and meaning.

The rest is here:

Scientists predict DMT trip from cardiac activity - Big Think

Rucker JJH, Iliff J, Nutt DJ. Psychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future. Neuropharmacology. 2018;142:20018.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Vollenweider FX, Smallridge JW. Classic psychedelic drugs: update on biological mechanisms. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2022;55:12138.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Lpez-Gimnez JF, Gonzlez-Maeso J. Hallucinogens and serotonin 5-HT2A receptor-mediated signaling pathways. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2018;36:45.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Mendes FR, dos Santos Costa C, Wiltenburg VD, Morales-Lima G, Fernandes JAB, Filev R. Classic and nonclassic psychedelics for substance use disorder: a review of their historic, past and current research. Addict Neurosci. 2022;3:100025.

Article Google Scholar

Dai R, Larkin TE, Huang Z, Tarnal V, Picton P, Vlisides PE, et al. Classical and non-classical psychedelic drugs induce common network changes in human cortex. Neuroimage. 2023;273:120097.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Inserra A. Hypothesis: the psychedelic ayahuasca Heals traumatic memories via a sigma 1 receptor-mediated epigenetic-mnemonic process. Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:330.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Agin-Liebes GI, Malone T, Yalch MM, Mennenga SE, Pont KL, Guss J, et al. Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer. J Psychopharmacol. 2020;34:15566.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Glintborg C, Thomsen AS, Hansen TGB. Beyond broken bodies and brains: a mixed methods study of mental health and life transitions after brain injury. Brain Impairment. 2018;19:21527.

Article Google Scholar

Hiplito I, Mago J, Rosas FE, Carhart-Harris R. Pattern breaking: a complex systems approach to psychedelic medicine. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/OSF.IO/YDU3H (2023).

Goodwin GM, Aaronson ST, Dunlop BW, Feifel D, Hellerstein DJ, Hewitt N, et al. The safety and efficacy of COMP360 psilocybin therapy in treatment-resistant depression: results from a phase IIb randomised controlled trial. Neurosci Appl. 2022;1:100511.

Article Google Scholar

Muttoni S, Ardissino M, John C. Classical psychedelics for the treatment of depression and anxiety: a systematic review. J Affect Disord. 2019;258:1124.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Krediet E, Bostoen T, Breeksema J, van Schagen A, Passie T, Vermetten E. Reviewing the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of PTSD. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020;23:385.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Johnson MW. Classic psychedelics in addiction treatment: the case for psilocybin in tobacco smoking cessation. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2022;56:21327.

Moreno FA, Wiegand CB, Taitano EK, Delgado PL. Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of psilocybin in 9 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006;67:173540.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Foldi CJ, Liknaitzky P, Williams M, Oldfield BJ. Rethinking therapeutic strategies for anorexia nervosa: insights from psychedelic medicine and animal models. Front Neurosci. 2020;14:43.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Zeifman RJ, Singhal N, dos Santos RG, Sanches RF, de Lima Osrio F, Hallak JEC, et al. Rapid and sustained decreases in suicidality following a single dose of ayahuasca among individuals with recurrent major depressive disorder: results from an open-label trial. Psychopharmacology. 2021;238:4539.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Johnston JN, Kadriu B, Allen J, Gilbert JR, Henter ID, Zarate CA. Ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics: an update on the mechanisms and biosignatures underlying rapid-acting antidepressant treatment. Neuropharmacology. 2023;226:109422.

Hibicke M, Landry AN, Kramer HM, Talman ZK, Nichols CD. Psychedelics, but not ketamine, produce persistent antidepressant-like effects in a rodent experimental system for the study of depression. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1021/ACSCHEMNEURO.9B00493/SUPPL_FILE/CN9B00493_LIVESLIDES.MP4.

Bogenschutz MP, Ross S, Bhatt S, Baron T, Forcehimes AA, Laska E, et al. Percentage of heavy drinking days following psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy vs placebo in the treatment of adult patients with alcohol use disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1001/JAMAPSYCHIATRY.2022.2096.

Carhart-Harris RL, Bolstridge M, Day CMJ, Rucker J, Watts R, Erritzoe DE, et al. Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology. 2018;235:399408.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Magaraggia I, Kuiperes Z, Schreiber R. Improving cognitive functioning in major depressive disorder with psychedelics: a dimensional approach. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2021;183:107467.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Sayal C, Barrett FS. The costs and benefits of psychedelics on cognition and mood. Neuron 2023;111:61430.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Lowe H, Toyang N, Steele B, Valentine H, Grant J, Ali A, et al. The therapeutic potential of psilocybin. Molecules. 2021;26:2948.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Mitchell JM, Bogenschutz M, Lilienstein A, Harrison C, Kleiman S, Parker-Guilbert K, et al. MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nat Med. 2021;27:102533.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Berger JJ, Fitzgerald PB. The prescription of psychedelic therapies in Australia and New Zealand: a brief survey of psychiatrists. Australas Psychiatry. 2023;31:190.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Grover C, Monds L, Montebello M. A survey of Australian psychiatrists and psychiatry trainees knowledge of and attitudes towards psychedelics in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Australas Psychiatry. 2023;31:32935.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Flanagan TW, Nichols CD. Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2018;30:36375.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Thompson C, Szabo A. Psychedelics as a novel approach to treating autoimmune conditions. Immunol Lett. 2020;228:4554.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

de Vos CMH, Mason NL, Kuypers KPC. Psychedelics and neuroplasticity: a systematic review unraveling the biological underpinnings of psychedelics. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:1575.

Google Scholar

Ly C, Greb AC, Vargas MV, Duim WC, Grodzki ACG, Lein PJ, et al. Transient stimulation with psychoplastogens is sufficient to initiate neuronal growth. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci. 2021;4:45260.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Arciniegas DB. Addressing neuropsychiatric disturbances during rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury: current and future methods. 2022;13:32545. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS2011132/darciniegas.

Bramlett HM, Dietrich WD. Long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury: current status of potential mechanisms of injury and neurological outcomes. J Neurotrauma. 2015;32:1834.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Khan SM, Carter GT, Aggarwal SK, Holland J. Psychedelics for brain injury: a mini-review. Front Neurol. 2021;12:1260.

Article Google Scholar

Mallah K, Couch C, Borucki DM, Toutonji A, Alshareef M, Tomlinson S. Anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agents in clinical trials for CNS disease and injury: where do we go from here? Front Immunol. 2020;11:2021.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Feigin VL, Barker-Collo S, Krishnamurthi R, Theadom A, Starkey N. Epidemiology of ischaemic stroke and traumatic brain injury. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2010;24:48594.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Xu XJ, Yang MS, Zhang B, Niu F, Dong JQ, Liu BY. Glucose metabolism: a link between traumatic brain injury and Alzheimers disease. Chin J Traumatol. 2021;24:5.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Lu J, Goldman L, Siddiqui EM, Khan A, Jahan S, Rehman MU, et al. Understanding acquired brain injury: a review. Biomedicines. 2022;10:2167.

Article Google Scholar

Dewan MC, Rattani A, Gupta S, Baticulon RE, Hung YC, Punchak M, et al. Estimating the global incidence of traumatic brain injury. J Neurosurg. 2018;130:108097.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Voss JD, Connolly J, Schwab KA, Scher AI. Update on the epidemiology of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2015;19:18.

Article Google Scholar

Donkor ES. Stroke in the 21st century: a snapshot of the burden, epidemiology, and quality of life. Stroke Res Treat. 2018;2018:3238165.

Strilciuc S, Grad DA, Radu C, Chira D, Stan A, Ungureanu M, et al. The economic burden of stroke: a systematic review of cost of illness studies. J Med Life. 2021;14:606.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Lund SB, Gjeilo KHKH, Moen KG, Schirmer-Mikalsen K, Skandsen T, Vik A. Moderate traumatic brain injury, acute phase course and deviations in physiological variables: an observational study. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2016;24:18.

Article Google Scholar

Schimmel S, Acosta S, Lozano D. Neuroinflammation in traumatic brain injury: a chronic response to an acute injury. Brain Circ. 2017;3:135.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Chugh C. Acute ischemic stroke: management approach. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2019;23:S140.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Ponsford J, Nguyen S, Downing M, Bosch M, McKenzie JE, Turner S, et al. Factors associated with persistent post-concussion symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury in adults. J Rehabil Med. 2019;51:3239.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Nelson LD, Temkin NR, Dikmen S, Barber J, Giacino JT, Yuh E, et al. Recovery after mild traumatic brain injury in patients presenting to US level I trauma centers: a transforming research and clinical knowledge in traumatic brain injury (TRACK-TBI) study. JAMA Neurol. 2019;76:104959.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Lee B, Bennett LL, Bernick C, Shan G, Banks SJ. The relations among depression, cognition, and brain volume in professional boxers: a preliminary examination using brief clinical measures. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2019;34:E29E39.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Major B, Symons GF, Sinclair B, OBrien WT, Costello D, Wright DK, et al. White and gray matter abnormalities in Australian footballers with a history of sports-related concussion: an MRI study. Cereb Cortex. 2021;31:53318.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Wright DK, Symons GF, OBrien WT, McDonald SJ, Zamani A, Major B, et al. Diffusion imaging reveals sex differences in the white matter following sports-related concussion. Cereb Cortex. 2021;31:44119.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Costello K, Greenwald BD. Update on domestic violence and traumatic brain injury: a narrative review. Brain Sci. 2022;12:122.

Mans K, Kettner H, Erritzoe D, Haijen ECHM, Kaelen M, Carhart-Harris RL. Sustained, multifaceted improvements in mental well-being following psychedelic experiences in a prospective opportunity sample. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:1038.

Article Google Scholar

Schmid Y, Liechti ME. Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects. Psychopharmacology. 2018;235:535.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Hackett ML, Pickles K. Part I: frequency of depression after stroke: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Int J Stroke. 2014;9:101725.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Ayerbe L, Ayis S, Wolfe CDA, Rudd AG. Natural history, predictors and outcomes of depression after stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 2013;202:1421.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

View post:

Psychedelics for acquired brain injury: a review of molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential | Molecular ... - Nature.com

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. Today, following the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issuing a request for applications (RFA) for proposals from its network of VA researchers to study the use of certain psychedelic compounds in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression,Representatives Lou Correa (CA-46)andJack Bergman (MI-01), co-chairs of thePsychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus, released the below statement:

To say this moment is monumental would be an understatement. Weve been fighting for years to push the VA to research the impact of breakthrough therapies, like psychedelics, on the invisible wounds of our countrys most valiant warriorswith the House passing our amendment to do just that last year,Correa said.These therapies promise to be one of the largest breakthroughs in mental health treatment in nearly half a century, and, with some reported signs of up to 80% success in treatment, shows a possibility to cure our veterans of their invisible woundsand be the first step toward tackling our national mental health crisis head-on. I could not be more proud to have been in this fight alongside General Bergman to get to this point, and we wont stop until these potentially life-saving therapies are accessible to all who would benefit from them.

Last year, the House of Representatives passed theCorrea-Bergman Amendment, which wasincluded in federal funding legislation, to push the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out large-scale studies into drugs like psilocybin and MDMAwhich have been designated as breakthrough therapies by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If psychedelic-assisted therapy can help treat a servicemember or Veterans PTSD, or prevent them from taking their own life, then we owe it to them to take an active role in researching these potentially life-saving therapies,Bergman said.Im grateful for Secretary McDonoughs commitment to making VA a leader in this promising new field of research, and for my friend Lou Correas work and leadership to help move this forward. This is the next first stepand I will continue fighting to advance these promising therapies that could save the lives of countless Veterans.

The Correa-Bergman Amendmentamended the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. It encouraged the VA to explore utilizing federal dollars to fund research into the impact of breakthrough therapies, including psychedelics, on veterans who return home from combat with invisible wounds. It passed by unanimous consent, and was included in the final text of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which passed out of the House last year. You can find the full text of the amendmentHERE.

CorreaandBergmanare Co-Chairs of Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus, where theypromoterigorous and urgent clinical research into the efficacy of psychedelics in treating brain health conditions, in accordance with the law.

Congressman Lou Correa is a longtime Orange County resident, with deep local roots. To this day, he lives only three miles from his childhood neighborhood in Anaheim. He is the son of working-class parents whose hard work gave him a chance at success, and has spent his career fighting to protect the American Dream, and ensure anyone can reach the middle class, just as he did. In 2016, Lou was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to continue his work by representing the community he has spent the past 20 years serving, fighting to give everyone access to the same opportunity he had. Congressman Correa is committed to working across party lines to strengthen the middle class and give everyone a shot at the American Dream by investing in education, healthcare, and our fading infrastructure, and has introduced legislation to protect the legal rights of immigrants, care for veterans, and fight against the wasteful spending of taxpayer money.

Like Loading...

Read the original here:

U.S. Rep. Correa supports using psychedelics to treat veterans with PTSD - New Santa Ana

A top Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has affirmed that spores that produce so-called magic mushrooms are not, on their own, federally prohibited.

DEAs Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section Chief Terrence Boos was asked about the legal status of the spores in a letter from attorney Michael McGuire in November, and he sent a response on Tuesday that clarified the agencys position.

If the mushroom spores (or any other material) do not contain psilocybin or psilocin (or any other controlled substance or listed chemical), the material is considered not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Boos wrote.

However, if at any time the material contains a controlled substance such as psilocybin or psilocin (for example, upon germination), the material would be considered a controlled substance under the CSA, he said, as Kight On Cannabis first reported.

This isnt especially revelatory, as its long been understood that the CSA doesnt explicitly ban spores that can be used to produce so-called magic mushrooms. Rather, it lists the key psychoactive ingredients in psychedelic mushrooms, psilocybin and psilocyn, as Schedule I controlled substances.

Because the spores themselves dont contain those specific compounds, they are uncontrolled under the CSA.

However, it should be noted that while the spores are technically considered federally legalas long as someone doesnt use them to produce mushrooms that contain psilocybin or psilocinstates such as California, Georgia and Idaho do prohibit the spores themselves.

The DEA letter still marks an important clarification, though. As attorney Rod Kight pointed out, police have still arrested people for selling or utilizing spore kits. But its possible that could be connected to a different question of whether the kits are considered drug paraphernalia, which may depend on how spore kits are marketed or used, he wrote.

In short, this newest DEA letter is a positive clarification of a long-debated issue. However, it does not necessarily open the doors to widespread use and sale of spore kits, Kight said. At a minimum, buyers and sellers should understand the legal issues with a lawyer, and act accordingly.

The spore versus mushroom question mirrors another DEA paradox that was addressed in separate, earlier letters from Boos: while marijuana is federally prohibited, the seeds that produce that plant are not (as long as they do not contain more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight).

If the seeds fall under that threshold, they are considered federally legal hemp, under the definition set out in the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized the non-intoxicating crop. Boos made that distinction in a letter to attorney Shane Pennington in January 2022.

Meanwhile, the DEA official issued another relevant administrative interpretation of cannabis statute last year when he asserted that the agency considers the intoxicating cannabinoid delta-8 THC an illicit Schedule I drug if its synthesized from federally legal CBD.

Delta-8 THC products have proliferated on the market since hemps legalization, essentially existing in an unregulated legal grey area. If the cannabinoid is naturally extracted from hemp, its federally legal. But its generally considered common practice to synthesize it from CBD because its a more cost-effective process. Some states have taken steps to restrict delta-8 THC, however.

At DEAs 2023 Supply Chain Conference in May, Boos similarly explained that synthetic cannabinoids are banned, and he said that DEA is in the process of developing a final rule to formally clarify that policy, at the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Boos also told a lawyer last year that the minor cannabinoids delta-8 THC-0 and delta-9 THC-O are prohibitedbecause they can only be synthetically produced.

Some experts have disputed DEAs interpretation of the statute on intoxicating hemp-based cannabinoids, however. And a federal appeals court ruled in 2022 that the way that existing rules are written makes delta-8 THC exempt from control, as the law is silent on the minor cannabinoid while clearly legalizing hemp extracts and derivatives.

The letter of psychedelic mushroom spores comes after a federal appellate panel denied a motion by lawyers for a Washington State doctor trying to reschedule psilocybinunder the CSA. In an order last month, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected the doctors request for a rehearing of an earlier court decision that returned the matter to DEA.

DEA recently announced that it is taking another shot atbanning two psychedelics after abandoning its original scheduling proposal in 2022, teeing up another fight with researchers and advocates who say the compounds hold therapeutic potential.

The agency separatelybacked down from a proposal to ban five different tryptamine psychedelics in 2022amid sizable pushback from the research and advocacy communities.

DEA is also warning Georgia pharmacies that dispensing THC is unlawfulbecause it remains a Schedule I drug after the state became the first in the U.S. to allow pharmacies to sell medical marijuana, with nearly 120 facilities applying to sell cannabis oil.

Its additionallycalling for the production of even more THC, psilocybin and DMT for research purposes than it initially proposed for 2024raising its quotas for those drugs whilemaintaining already high production goals for marijuana and other psychedelics.

Meanwhile, DEA is actively conducting a review into marijuana scheduling after receiving a recommendation from HHS to move it from Schedule I to Schedule III under the CSA. The agency said in a letter to Congress last month that it reserves the final authority to make any scheduling decision on cannabis, regardless of what the HHS recommends.

Read the full DEA letter on psilocybin mushroom spores below:

New Kentucky Bill Would Legalize Marijuana Use, Possession And Home CultivationBut Not Sales

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Original post:

DEA Confirms That Psychedelic Mushroom Spores Are Federally Legal Prior To Germination - Marijuana Moment

Understanding the Role of the FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, is entrusted with safeguarding public health. This involves ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of a wide range of products, including drugs, vaccines, medical devices, food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and tobacco products. Among the many areas under its purview, the FDA also oversees the regulatory aspects of psychedelic clinical trials, and the current research in this area is gaining momentum.

In a bid to advance the field of psychedelic research, the FDA has announced a two-day virtual public workshop titled Advancing Psychedelic Clinical Study Design in collaboration with the Reagan-Udall Foundation. The workshop aims to gather researchers, regulated industry representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss scientific issues related to working with psychedelics in clinical trials and drug development. The FDA issued its first draft psychedelics guidance for the industry in June 2023, offering general considerations to sponsors developing psychedelic drugs for the treatment of medical conditions.

Research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs dates back 80 years. However, government regulations have long hindered progress in this field. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the benefits of psychedelic medicines, leading to clinical trials for treating conditions like treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. The FDAs new draft guidance for researchers investigating the use of psychedelic drugs for potential medical treatment signals a promising pathway to approval. Despite the logistical challenges of conducting clinical research and ensuring patient safety, there is a potential move towards refining the therapeutic benefits of these drugs while minimizing their psychedelic effects.

The American Medical Association has set new standards for assigning specific codes to psychedelic therapies for data collection on novel treatments. In July, the AMA approved Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) III codes for psychedelic medicines, facilitating health providers in seeking coverage and reimbursement for these treatments. Alongside this, the FDA is considering an application to approve MDMA as a prescription drug, with MAPS PBC requesting an expedited six-month review instead of the standard 10-month review. If approved, it would mark a historic moment, making MDMA the first psychedelic to be approved as a pharmaceutical to be administered with psychotherapy and other supportive services.

The FDAs draft guidance for researchers interested in developing psychedelic drugs for the treatment of medical conditions has sparked optimism in medical communities. This shift in attitude is seen against the backdrop of the historical context of psychedelics, the Controlled Substance Act, and the resurgence of research funding for psychedelics. Notably, the FDA has already approved esketamine for the treatment of depression in adults, paving the way for further research and harnessing the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs.

Read more:

Understanding the Role of the FDA in Advancing Psychedelic Therapy - Medriva

Amy, Henry and Protik then took to the stage, with Emerson kicking off a fireside-type discussion with the Helena executives.

But why had Helena, which has invested in grid-scale energy storage and carbon-negative diamonds, become so interested in psychedelics?

The shit works, Elkus responded when asked what drew him into the space. The data on this is so incredibly compelling, it kind of doesnt even require using stage time to talk about it.

In what followed, Elkus echoed Doblins assessment of todays crisis state of humanity and talked of a present real risk moment for human civilisation, adding that you cannot solve any problem without, as a prerequisite, human coordination [], human empathy.

In MAPS PBC and psychedelics (drug development) more broadly, then, Elkus sees a dual benefit.

MDMA-assisted therapy, for example, represents something that in the here and now works, but also something that in the medium- and long-term, if we introduce these concepts to civilisation, could kind of end the model of accumulation without empathy or without distribution. Thats what I think psychedelics can allow for the rest of the 21st century, Elkus said.

And so to have an opportunity to work on both of those at the same time, especially without them cannibalising each other, is a once in a lifetime opportunity, he said, and were just glad to be here.

Helena was founded by Elkus, who dropped out of Yale in his second year to dedicate himself full-time to the project. His father, Bill Elkus, founded Clearstone Venture Partners in 1997, which invested in PayPal among other tech startups.

In a 2017 Huffington Post interview, Elkus described Helena as a new type of organization that was structurally designed for 21st century problems, and I wanted to do my part and create one.

At the Psychedelic Science 2023 fireside discussion, Helena Managing Partner Basu explained that the organisation has both a not-for-profit arm (a kind of policy arm) as well as a for-profit investment fund.

Follow this link:

MAPS PBC Closes $100m Series A, Rebrands to Lykos Therapeutics - Psychedelic Alpha

The European Union stands at a critical juncture in addressing the escalating crisis of mental health disorders. With the ongoing review of EU pharmaceutical legislation, there is a pressing need to realign our healthcare innovation priorities to better address the unmet needs in mental health care.

Current data paints a concerning picture of the mental health burden in Europe. According to the OECD, half of the population will face mental illness at some point in their lives. (1) In the EU, 32 million citizens (7.2%) suffer from chronic depression, (2) a condition with a high risk of suicide. WHO Europe reports that 75% of major depression cases lack adequate treatment. (3) Up to 50% of treated patients experience treatment resistance, (4) and nearly one-third will attempt suicide. (5) Annually, 130,000 Europeans die by suicide. (6) These stark realities underscore the urgency of addressing mental health as a public health priority.

Despite the clear need, the innovation landscape in mental health care is lagging. Current estimates suggest that by 2040, we will only be able to prevent 14% of the burden arising from mental health conditions. (7) The pharmaceutical sector has seen limited progress in developing new treatments for mental health. There are approximately 30 different antidepressants, 20 antipsychotic drugs, seven mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder, and six different classes of drugs for ADHD available. Regrettably, almost none of these are more effective than the medications available three decades ago, despite some improvements in side-effect profiles. (8)

Last year, of the 89 new medicines recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency, not a single one targeted mental health conditions. (9) Since 2015, only seven neuropsychiatric drugs have been approved globally, in stark contrast to the 80 drugs approved in the field of oncology. (10)

This innovation gap in mental health care is a significant concern. Against this backdrop, among the most promising areas in mental health innovation are novel psychedelic treatments. These therapies have shown potential in clinical trials, offering rapid and durable effects in treating various mental health conditions and substance use disorders. These therapies offer new hope for many patients, particularly those who have not found relief through conventional treatments.

The global landscape for psychedelic therapy is evolving rapidly. This year, Australia became the first country to officially regulate the medical use of psychedelics for the treatment of PTSD and depression. In the US, the first psychedelic therapy is anticipated to be approved by 2024.

Despite significant progress in this field, Europe currently faces a shortfall in late-stage programs that facilitate the approval of new treatments. Numerous early and mid-stage trials are underway within Europe, and the continent has been a fertile ground for pioneering insights in psychedelic research, largely thanks to the contributions of European scientists and study participants. Nevertheless, the majority of the regulatory support and flexibility that encourages the advancement of these treatments into their final stages of development is predominantly seen outside of Europe. This disparity poses a risk of Europe lagging in the international effort to develop and authorize these groundbreaking treatments.

The EU has previously demonstrated its ability to incentivize R&D in specific areas, such as orphan and paediatric medicines. This success can serve as a model for mental health care. By leveraging the pharmaceutical legislation review, the EU has the opportunity to foster innovation and support the development of novel mental health treatments.

To make this possible, the current EU criteria for unmet medical needs need to be expanded from merely looking at life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions to including the prevalence of conditions and their societal impact. This call was included in a recently launched European Parliament policy paper Unmet Medical Needs: Aligning Medical Innovation with Societal Health Needs authored by the Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA).

The paper also calls for the establishment of a European Hub for Mental Health R&D. This hub would unite EU institutions, Member States, healthcare funders, and philanthropic organizations to foster evidence-based decision-making in mental health and to set effective incentives and prioritize resources, driving innovation and addressing the substantial unmet medical needs in mental health care across Europe.

The EU is at a crossroads in mental health care. The choices made today in the realm of pharmaceutical legislation will have far-reaching implications for the future of mental health care. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that these choices pave the way for a healthier, more resilient society where mental wellbeing is not just an aspiration but a reality.

See the original post:

Closing the innovation gap: Advancing psychedelic therapy and medicines in EU mental health care - Open Access Government

Ibogaine is currently among the buzziest psychedelics, promising to upend the landscape of mental health care and support. First discovered to curb addiction in the 1960s, the drug was declared an illegal substance by the 1970s. Now, ibogaine is making a comeback not only for treating addiction but anxiety, depression, and now traumatic brain injuries.

In a study published Friday in the journal Nature Medicine, military veterans with mostly mild traumatic brain injuries underwent a combination treatment of magnesium and ibogaine in Mexico, where the psychedelic is legal. One month following their treatment, the individuals reported feeling immense relief from symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, as well as improved cognition.

No other drug has ever been able to alleviate the functional and neuropsychiatric symptoms of traumatic brain injury, Nolan Williams, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, who led the study, said in a press release. The results are dramatic, and we intend to study this compound further.

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring compound found in the roots of a shrub called Tabernanthe iboga, which is native to Central Africa and has been used for centuries for ceremonial practices.

Ibogaine acts as a stimulant in small doses but is a powerful psychedelic in large doses. What it does in the brain, however, isnt well understood. Studies in rats show that ibogaine may increase proteins that encourage neuroplasticity, which could explain how it helps the brain rewire itself, overcoming seemingly hard-set neural patterns of addiction.

While ibogaine isnt legal in the U.S., that hasnt deterred a growing number of individuals from flocking to clinics in Mexico (where the substance is unregulated) seeking treatment for addiction and other mental health issues.

There were a handful of veterans who had gone to this clinic in Mexico and were reporting anecdotally that they had great improvements in all kinds of areas of their lives after taking ibogaine, Williams said. Our goal was to characterize those improvements with structured clinical and neurobiological assessments.

To do this, Williams and his colleagues at Stanford recruited 30 military veterans who had been in special operations with a history of traumatic brain injuries a condition causing other mental health issues like PTSD, depression, and anxiety and repeated blast or combat exposures. The participants first underwent neuro- and psychological evaluations at Stanford and, a few days later, traveled by themselves to the Ambio Treatment Clinic located in Tijuana, Mexico.

At the clinic, the group took an oral dose of ibogaine paired with an intravenous drip of magnesium to prevent any side effects to the heart and cardiovascular system, which the psychedelic is known to do. Participants also participated in some wellness activities while at the clinic, such as reiki, meditation, yoga, and massage. They were then re-evaluated at Stanford four to five days and one month after the ibogaine treatment.

The results were significant. The average disability score for the participants before the treatment was equivalent to mild to moderate disability. This changed to no disability on the one-month follow-up. The veterans also reported, on average, an 88 percent reduction in symptoms associated with PTSD, 87 percent for depression, and 81 percent in anxiety relative to before the ibogaine treatment. They also did much better on their cognitive tests with respect to overall concentration, information processing, memory, and impulse control.

Before the treatment, I was living life in a blizzard with zero visibility and a cold, hopeless, listless feeling, Sean, a 51-year-old veteran from Arizona with six combat deployments who participated in the study, said in the press release. After ibogaine, the storm lifted.

These findings complement other studies involving military veterans that, similarly, have found ibogaine vastly improved cognitive impairment, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

In light of the promising research thus far, pharmaceutical companies are already gearing up to develop drugs from ibogaine. German-based atai Life Sciences made an ibogaine formulation to treat opioid-use disorder that completed an early phase clinical trial in the U.K. At the University of California, San Francisco, researchers developed an antidepressant that mimics ibogaines impact on the protein that transports the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Since this study was purely observational, Williams and his colleagues are interested in expanding their research to include brain imaging to see exactly what sort of structural changes or otherwise are going on. The researchers believe ibogaine could be a veritable game-changer not just for traumatic brain injuries but a whole laundry list of neurological and psychiatric conditions.

In addition to treating [traumatic brain injury], I think this may emerge as a broader neuro-rehab drug, Williams said. I think it targets a whole host of different brain areas and can help us better understand how to treat other forms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression that arent necessarily linked to TBI.

View post:

This Forgotten Psychedelic Could Revolutionize Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment - Inverse

Psychedelics made their mark this yearnot as counterculture party drugs, but as a new paradigm in mental health therapy.

In June, Australia became the first country to greenlight MDMA, popularly known as molly or ecstasy, and psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

MDMA also inched closer to approval in the US for PTSD, thanks to positive results from a large multi-site, double-blind, randomized trialthe gold standard for testing drug safety and efficacy.

Meanwhile, psilocybin gained steam as a treatment for severe depression. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 104 adults found that a single dose of magic mushrooms dampened the symptoms of depression when combined with psychological support. The effects lasted at least six weeks with minimal side effects. Clinical trials are in the works to explore whether psilocybin and its derivatives can help patients cope with chronic lower back pain, tackle depression in bipolar disorder, and ease mental struggles in end-of-life care.

This year also saw magic mushrooms for therapy move ahead. Registered clinics in Oregon have already begun psilocybin treatments in patients with mental health disorders ranging from obsessive-compulsive disorders to PTSDeven though the drug isnt federally approved and remains illegal.

In 2022, Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin therapy with strict regulations: The mushrooms are carefully controlled for potency and quality and need to be taken under supervision. The guidelines offer a blueprint for other statessuch as Colorado, which also decriminalized psilocybin for potential therapeutic use.

Yet one glaring problem remains. Despite promising clinical results, no one knows exactly how psychedelic drugs work in the brain. Examining their actions on brain cells isnt just an academic curiosity. It could give rise to variants that maintain antidepressant properties without the high. And because hallucinogens substantially alter our perception of the world, they could be powerful tools for investigating the neurobiology behind consciousness.

Mind-altering drugs are fabulously dirty, in that they act on multiple targets across the brain, with each activating different types of neurons in diverse regions.

However, they share similarities. For example, most psychoactive drugs regulate serotonin, a brain chemical involved in mood, appetite, memory, and attention.

This year, scientists found another common themepsychedelics seem to reset the brain to a more youthful state, at least in mice. Like humans, mice have an adolescent critical period, during which their brains are highly malleable and can easily rewire neural circuits, but the window closes after adulthood.

An earlier study showed that MDMA reopens the critical window in adult mice, so that they change their personality. Mice raised alone are often introverted and prefer to keep to themselves in adulthood. A dose of MDMA increased their willingness to snuggle with other miceessentially, they learned to associate socializing with happiness, concluded the study.

Its not that surprising. MDMA is well-known to promote empathy and bonding. The new study, by the same team, extended their early results to four psychedelics that dont trigger fuzzy feelingsLSD, ketamine, psilocybin, and ibogaine. Similar to MDMA, adult mice raised alone changed their usual preference for solitude when treated with any of the drugs. Because habits are hard to change in adulthoodfor mice and menthe drugs may have reopened the critical period, allowing the brain to more easily rewire neural connections based on new experiences.

People with depression often have rigid neural networks that lock them into non-stop ruminations and dark thoughts. Psychedelics could potentially be a master key that helps brain networks regain their fluidity and flexibility.

Surprisingly, despite vastly different chemical structures, all the tested psychedelics activated a brain protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. A nutrient for brain cells, the protein helped brain regions involved in memory and mood give birth to new neurons. It also restored damaged neural branches, so neurons could better connect into functional networks.

Classic antidepressants such as Prozac also activate the protein, but psychedelics are far more effective. It could be why they rapidly relieve depressive symptoms within hours, whereas conventional alternatives often take months.

That said, being high all the time is hardly practical.

Another study suggests that it might be possible to separate a drugs mind-bending and mood-boosting effects. By studying brain networks in mice tripping on LSD, the researchers pinpointed a key hub for the drugs anti-depressant effects. Genetically deleting the protein hub reduced anti-depressant effects, but kept the high (on acid, mice bob their heads nonstop as if jamming to the Grateful Dead). The results suggest it may be possible to develop LSD variants that skirt unwanted hallucinations but keep their rapid antidepressant properties.

These are just early results. But psychedelic research is gaining a new allyartificial intelligence. Algorithms that predict protein structure, combined with rational drug design, could generate psychedelics that retain their psychiatric benefits without the high.

Machine learning could also further help decipher their effects on brain activity. For example, a collaboration between McGill University in Canada, the Broad Institute at Harvard and MIT, and other institutions is using AI to explore how hallucinogens alter different chemical systems in the brain.

The method is outside-the-box: The study designed an algorithm that analyzed 6,850 trip reports from people who took a range of 27 different drugs and cataloged their subjective experiences in everyday language. The AI extracted commonly used words for any given substance and linked them to brain chemical systems across brain regions that are likely affected by that particular drug. In other words, the AI reliably translated real-world experiences into potential chemical changes in the brain for researchers to explore. A similar tool could link drug-induced changes in consciousness to different brain regions.

Despite growing enthusiasm, hallucinogens and empathogenssuch as MDMAremain federally illegal. The Drug Enforcement Agency classifies them as Schedule I, meaning the agency considers them drugs without known medical uses and high risk of abuse.

However, federal regulators are gradually warming up to their potential.

In June, the Food and Drug Administration released draft guidance on how to conduct clinical trials using psychedelic drugsgiving the field a tentative nod. The agency has already approved a version of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression and granted MDMA and psilocybin breakthrough therapy status to accelerate their development. Even Congress is on board. This year, it passed bills allowing the Department of Veteran Affairs to study psychedelics for veterans mental health.

Acceptance is also growing across society. A small poll by the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics found over 60 percent of 1,500 surveyed participants supported legalizing psychedelics for therapy, as long as theyre regulated.

This year was a landmark year for psychedelic therapy. While promising, the results are still early. Given the drugs tumultuous history, researchers and practitioners are carefully moving forward with guidelines on best therapeutic practices (such as what to do when a patient suffers a bad trip). With at least 260 registered clinical trials in the works, next year is poised to continue psychedelic drugs foray into mental health.

Image Credit:Marcel Strau /Unsplash

Original post:

Psychedelic Drugs Are Rushing Towards Approval for Therapy. Here's What's Next - Singularity Hub

There are countless ways to acquire knowledge these days, especially when it comes to psychedelics. Tuning into a podcast or finding a righteous video to watch on YouTube often takes top billing when people are learning something new. This focus on audio-visual elements has taken center stage, but there are still avid readers who prefer to leaf through (or devour) psychedelic books.

RELATED: 20 Cannabis cookbooks to inspire you in the kitchen

The psychedelic library is extensive, ranging the gamut from dry medical texts to vibrant fiction novels to poignant memoirs. There are various selections to choose from when searching for a psychedelic text to read, and some might wonder where to start. Well, thats where this list comes in. These eight psychedelic books can serve as the jumpoff for a literary psychonaut.

Those who have dipped even a toe into psychedelic counterculture have likely heard of DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctors Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences. The book offers a peek behind the curtain of psychedelic research conducted by author Dr. Strassman at the University of New Mexico. Read The Spirit Molecule or watch the documentary-style film adaptation for first-hand accounts of sixty participants who were injected with N, N-Dimethyltryptamine, or DMT.

Strassman shares theories on alien abductions, connects the substance to the pineal gland, and engages in a conversation on the souls journey in and out of the body. The trippy but scientific text is a staple on the shelves of psychonauts everywhere and serves as an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the movement.

RELATED: 20 Books on how to grow cannabis in every garden

When speaking of the classic books on psychedelics, Food of the Gods: The Search For The Original Tree Of Knowledge always makes the list. Author Terrance McKenna is treasured in the psychedelic culture as an ethnobotanist and mystic.

Food of the Gods was the first time readers were introduced to the stoned ape theory, which posits that humans evolved into cognitive beings when Psilocybin cubensis was introduced into their diets. Many in the scientific community discredit the theory as conjecture, but it provides a solid example of what to expect from this book that views human history through a psychedelic lens.

Whether someone seeks to learn about magic mushrooms or ponder on the anthropological role of psychoactive substances in evolution, this book is for them.

One of the newer releases on the list, Exile & Ecstasy is a memoir-style exploration of the space where the psychedelic movement meets Hasidism. Journalist Madison Margolin sweeps readers through experiences growing up around HinJews, a term coined for those who practice Hinduism and Judaism.

Her world exists in the space between the Ram Dass movement and Hasidic Judaism. Sharing more about this culture opens a dialogue with the reader about spirituality, countercultures, and psychedelics as Margolin searches for her own truths on the matter.

LSD, Spirituality, and the Creative Process earns a place due to the first-hand accounts of things people see and experience while tripping on acid. The results come from one of the largest clinical studies on acid from 1954 to 1962, before it was made illegal. See real artwork, read poetry, and unlock personal reports from almost 1,000 subjects who consumed LSD-25 for the study.

Author Marlene Dobkin de Rios studied hallucinogens in indigenous societies before conducting the experiment, which aimed to examine the creative process. What becomes most striking by the end of the text is the intangible psychic links that seem to join humanity. Anyone interested in how things work will appreciate the knowledge within this psychedelic book.

Though somewhat controversial to DEA agents, every thread on psychedelic books recommends readers peruse PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story. The text was penned by husband and wife Alex and Ann Shulgin. Alex was a chemist and pharmacologist who believed that people should have access to Phenethylamines; in fact, PiHKAL stands for Phenethylamines I have known and loved.

The first part of PiHKAL is a fictional autobiography of the Shulgins, and the second part is an extensive encyclopedia of 179 psychedelic compounds. Part two was free on Erowid, but the full two-part story is only available in the printed text. The DEA raided Shulgins lab just three years after PiHKAL was released, taking his DEA license and deeming it a cookbook for illegal drugs. The synthesis listed for MDMA, or Ecstacy, is still used by many manufacturers to this day.

We definitely dont recommend making any phenethylamines, but this book plays a part in the psychedelic history of the U.S., earning it a spot on this list.

RELATED: Cannabis books for kids tools for a modern parent

The authors of The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead are three heavy hitters in the American psychedelic movement. The 1964 book compares the ego death and other psychedelic experiences with the Tibetan Book of the Dead hoping to provide psychonauts with a manual to traverse the sometimes rocky landscape of a trip.

This book is a hands-on guide to navigating nuances and challenges that can emerge after consuming psychedelic substances. The book culminates in suggestions for an assisted psychedelic session from the three former Harvard researchers. Readers looking for insight into what to expect from psychedelics or curious about how the West embraced them will appreciate this book.

In the decade following his release from Harvard, Richard Alpert became Ram Dass, and the world was given Be Here Now. Spirituality, yoga, and meditation take center stage in this book that introduced many American Baby Boomers to Eastern religion.

Ram Dass created the book after being initiated into a Guru-chela relationship with Neem Karoli Baba. Though the text isnt specifically about psychedelics, the topics and imagery evoke the right mentality. Many day-trippers have spent time leafing through the pages.

Another memoir, Trip follows Tao Lin in a time of self-inflicted isolation. While Lin isolated for creative reasons he became obsessed with Terrance McKenna, researching the mystic and in turn, psychedelics and entheogens.

This book takes the reader on a cruise through the history and current understanding of psychedelics while exploring Lins own psyche. Personal tales of recovering from pharmaceutical drugs while experimenting with substances like DMT and psilocybin juxtapose philosophical quandaries regarding the purpose of art and more. This is a journalistic look at the internal psychedelic revolution many individuals might have experienced.

These are the top eight psychedelic books for anyone with an interest in the history of these substances or trying them. From memoirs to manuals to historical texts, these books cover it all. Read them all already? Not to worry, theres always new editions like Welcome to Psilocybin and many unlisted classics like Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley. There are tons more fantastic psychedelic books, these are just the staples.

Follow this link:

The top 8 psychedelic books you need to read | GreenState - GreenState