Articles

In-depth editorial pieces on the people, culture, science, and art of psychoactive substances.

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Ego Dissolution & the Mystical Experience

Ego dissolution -- the temporary loss of the sense of self -- is the defining feature of the psychedelic experience. Research shows it is reliably associated with therapeutic outcomes and can be measured, predicted, and understood in neural terms.

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How Psychedelics Work: The 5-HT2A Receptor Story

Classical psychedelics produce their effects primarily through the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Understanding this mechanism has opened new frontiers in neuroscience and drug design.

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Ketamine & Depression: From Anesthetic to Antidepressant

Ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects, discovered serendipitously in the 1990s, have transformed our understanding of depression and led to the first fundamentally new class of antidepressants in decades.

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MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD

MDMA-assisted therapy has shown unprecedented efficacy for PTSD in clinical trials, with over two-thirds of participants no longer meeting diagnostic criteria after treatment. Its path to approval has been both groundbreaking and contentious.

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Neuroplasticity & Psychedelics: Rewiring the Brain

Psychedelics promote rapid structural and functional changes in neurons, growing new dendritic spines and synapses within 24 hours of a single dose. This discovery has spawned a new class of compounds called psychoplastogens.

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Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy: Clinical Trials & Results

Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown remarkable results in clinical trials for depression, addiction, and end-of-life anxiety. After decades of prohibition, rigorous science is bringing this ancient compound into modern medicine.

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Set and Setting: The Science of Context

The effects of psychedelics depend more on mindset and environment than on the drug itself. The concept of 'set and setting' has evolved from folk wisdom into a testable scientific framework with profound implications for therapy.

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The Default Mode Network & Psychedelics

The default mode network is a set of brain regions active during self-referential thought. Psychedelics dramatically disrupt its activity, offering clues to both the mystical experience and novel treatments for depression.

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The Pharmacology of Addiction

Addiction hijacks the brain's reward circuitry through dopamine-driven learning and synaptic remodeling. Understanding its pharmacology has revealed why psychedelics, ibogaine, and other novel compounds may offer fundamentally new treatment approaches.

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The Science of Microdosing

Microdosing psychedelics has become a widespread practice, but does the science support the claims? Placebo-controlled studies reveal a complex picture where expectation, pharmacology, and placebo effects intertwine.

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