Psychedelics & Altered States

Four Canadians will soon become the first in the country to legally consume psilocybin since it was made illegal in 1974

Illegal, underground and said to be brimming with health benefits — the practice of taking small amounts of psychedelic drugs is growing increasingly popular, yet it remains relatively unstudied and its reported benefits unproven.

Hallucinogens like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin (a compound derived from certain species of mushrooms) were being researched in medicine as therapeutic agents before their recreational popularity boomed in the 1960s. Unfortunately, that era gave them a negative connotation and since then the research

A thousand-year-old pouch in Bolivia has revealed traces of several psychoactive compounds, indicating not only some of the earliest archeological evidence of ayahuasca use but also other intoxicants. The find suggests significant plant knowledge and a broad ancient plant trading network.

The psychedelic state induced by LSD appears to weaken the association between anatomical brain structure and functional connectivity, according to new

A rare interview with bestselling author Tim Ferriss on his quarantine philosophy, funding psychedelic research, and why “not everything that is meaningful can be measured.”

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The use of substances to alter consciousness seems to be innate. UCLA Professor Ronald Siegel (2005) calls it the “fourth universal drive”, as natural as hunger, thirst and se…

The scientist talks to Laurence Phelan about fighting the establishment, battling preconceptions and breaking down egos

Almost by accident, scientists uncovered why ketamine causes out-of-body experiences. They also reveal what happens in the brain when you fall into a "k-hole."

When humans take the drug MDMA, versions of which are known as molly or ecstasy, they commonly feel very happy, extraverted, and particularly interested

Drug researcher David Nutt discusses brain-imaging studies with hallucinogens.

The ability of psychedelic drugs to pass through brain cell membranes may explain how they help rapidly grow new neural connections.

Researchers add analysis to the mix to move beyond anecdotes

First modern scans of people high on psychedelic drug has given researchers unprecedented insight into neural basis for its effects