As Psychedelics Become More Mainstream, Here’s What You Need to Know

Some people say they take the drugs for mental health or to increase focus and creativity, but many substances are illegal.

 Psychedelics can change humanity for the better. It’s time to unlock their power

Studies of MDMA, ketamine, psilocybin mushrooms and other psychedelics have shown tremendous potential for therapeutic applications.

 The Evolutionary Origins of Psychedelics

Humans rely on a bevy of strange natural chemicals to liven up our food and drink, to endure pain, and to change our perspective. We use caffeine from coffee, tea, and yerba mate to stimulate our bodies and minds, capsaicin from red pepper flakes or isothiocyanates in horseradish or wasabi to enliven our food with spice, and codeine or morphine to endure the pain of injuries and surgeries. Lately, though, some have also turned to psychedelics like psilocybin to change their perspectives. In fact, researchers are beginning to test if they could serve as new treatments for mental health disorders.

 Wall Street Backs New Class of Psychedelic Drugs

Psychedelic-therapy industry gets a reality trip as investors focus on treatments costing less time and money.

'Reluctant Psychonaut' Michael Pollan Embraces The 'New Science' Of Psychedelics

Author Michael Pollan had always been curious about psychoactive plants, but his interest skyrocketed when he heard about a research study in which people with terminal cancer were given a psychedelic called psilocybin — the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" — to help them deal with their distress.

An Introduction to Five Psychedelics: Psilocybin, DMT, LSD, MDMA and Ketamine

Interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, having lain relatively dormant in the face of stigma and heavy regulations for decades, has reignited in the last ten years. Landmark studies showing these compounds’ effectiveness in treating some mood disorders have kickstarted a wave of clinical research, with well over 100 separate trials now investigating psychedelics’ health applications. Let's take a closer look at five important psychedelic compounds.

Big Pharma Is Betting on Psychedelics for Mental Health

Psychedelic drugs are still classified as Schedule 1 drugs, or drugs with no current accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. But as regulations around these drugs are beginning to loosen, they’re becoming accepted treatments for a host of mental health issues—and fueling what many call a psychedelic renaissance.

Demand for This Toad’s Psychedelic Toxin Is Booming. Some Warn That’s Bad for the Toad.

In a sign of unintended consequences of the psychedelic resurgence, scientists say that the Sonoran desert toad is at risk of population collapse.

Do Psychedelics Drive You Crazy Or Keep You Sane?

For antiprohibitionists who are wondering what comes next after marijuana legalization, this class of drugs seems like a good place to start.

Hallucinogens Have Doctors Tuning In Again

Scientists are taking a new look at hallucinogens, which became taboo among regulators after enthusiasts like Timothy Leary promoted them in the 1960s with the slogan “Turn on, tune in, drop out.”

How Psychedelics Became the New Club Drug

With psychedelic drugs becoming more socially acceptable, taking them in the club also feels less dangerous. “People used to be very careful because they were scared of tripping,” says Nabben. “But now they’re experimenting with smaller doses, which allows them to use them in different settings. These doses can be combined with other substances, too.”

Luminous: A Series About Psychedelics from 'To The Best Of Our Knowledge'

Are you ready for the psychedelic revolution? In the next few years, the FDA is likely to approve these mind-bending drugs for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some states have already decriminalized psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic" mushrooms. But for all the headlines, many questions are swirling around this psychedelic renaissance.

Magic Mushrooms. LSD. Ketamine. The Drugs That Power Silicon Valley

Entrepreneurs including Elon Musk and Sergey Brin are part of a drug movement that proponents hope will expand minds, enhance lives and produce business breakthroughs.

Mind molding psychedelic drugs could treat depression, and other mental illnesses

It seems that psychedelics do more than simply alter perception. According to the latest research from my colleagues and me, they change the structures of neurons themselves.

My Nutmeg Bender

As it turns out, nutmeg contains a psychoactive element called myristicin, whose chemical structure shares similarities with mescaline, amphetamine, and ecstasy. A Dictionary of Hallucinations—let us pause for a moment to give thanks that we live in a world where such a reference exists—notes that nutmeg has been “reported to mediate visual, auditory, tactile, and kinaesthetic hallucinations (notably the sensation of floating).” This is not breaking news: the Benedictine abbess Hildegard of Bingen noted the mind-altering effects of nutmeg all the way back in the 12th century.

Psychedelic drugs can be almost as life altering as near-death experiences

The study analysed the experiences of over 3,000 people who reported changes in their attitude to death after either a psychedelic experience or an NDE. Four psychedelic substances were examined, including psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) and ayahuasca, a South American brew which contains the natural hallucinogen DMT.

Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say

One of the hottest tickets at this year's Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego was a session on psychedelic drugs. About 1,000 brain scientists squeezed into an auditorium at the San Diego Convention Center for the symposium, called Psychedelics and Neural Plasticity. They'd come to hear talks on how drugs like psilocybin and MDMA can alter individual brain cells, can help rewire the brain, and may offer a new way to treat disorders ranging from depression to chronic pain.

Psychedelic Mushrooms And LSD Are Among The Safest Recreational Drugs, Survey Finds

Thousands of people reported using these drugs last year, and 1 percent or less sought medical attention.

Psychedelics May Be Part of U.S. Medicine Sooner Than You Think

It came as a surprise to many when, on Feb. 3, Australian regulators announced that medicines containing the psychedelic substances MDMA and psilocybin can soon be used there to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression, respectively. That decision makes Australia the first country in the world to formally recognize the therapeutic use of psychedelics. Other countries, including the U.S., may be headed toward a similar outcome, some experts say.

Psychedelics Open Your Brain. You Might Not Like What Falls In

Reshaping your mind isn’t always a great idea.

Study Reveals More People are Using Psychedelics to Self-Treat Mental Health

The numbers indicate a growing movement of people unwilling to wait for LSD and psilocybin to be legalised.

The fascinating, strange medical potential of psychedelic drugs, explained in 50+ studies

One reason psychedelics may work: They treat the person’s context, not just their illness.

The most convincing argument for legalizing LSD, shrooms, and other psychedelics

As hallucinogens get a renewed look by researchers, they're finding that the substances may improve almost anyone's mood and quality of life — as long as they're taken in the right setting, typically a controlled environment.

The New Psychedelic Plot

With popular drugs like ketamine and psilocybin making their way into recent stories and novels, altering characters, expediting climaxes and dictating narratives, is fiction changing forever?

The Psychedelic Revolution Is Coming. Psychiatry May Never Be the Same.

Psilocybin and MDMA are poised to be the hottest new therapeutics since Prozac. Universities want in, and so does Wall Street. Some worry a push to loosen access could bring unintended consequences.

The Rise of Psychedelic Retreats

Even with cause for concern, retreats in countries like Costa Rica and Jamaica, as well as in the United States, have been popping up for more than a decade.

This Will Change Your Mind About Psychedelic Drugs

For years, the field of mental health has been largely barren of meaningful treatment advances. But now, scientists have new hope in the least likely of places: psychedelic drugs. Recent research suggests that certain psychedelic substances can help relieve anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction and the fear surrounding a terminal diagnosis.

Use of Marijuana and Psychedelics Is Soaring Among Young Adults, Study Finds

The annual U.S. survey of substance use captures the growing mainstream acceptance of cannabis and hallucinogenic compounds.

What happens when psychedelics make you see God

Drugs like ‘shrooms don’t just make people hallucinate. They can also help ease anxiety, depression, and other woes—but the effects may be even better when trips get spiritual.

What We Know About Treating Extreme Grief With Psychedelics

In his new memoir, Prince Harry talks about taking psychedelics to deal with the ongoing pain over the death of his mother. Here’s what we know and don’t know about their effectiveness.

Why psychedelics produce some of the most meaningful experiences in people’s lives

Everything seems profound on psychedelics. Scientists are starting to ask why.