Exploring the Psychedelic Landscape

This chapter investigates the origins and implications of the term 'psychedelic,' connecting its Greek roots to themes of the mind and soul. It delves into the pharmacology of psychedelics, focusing on their interaction with the serotonin 2A receptor and the subjective experiences they invoke. Additionally, the chapter discusses the nuances of microdosing and the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in treating severe depression within a structured therapeutic setting.

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Episode notes

In this episode, my guest is Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, distinguished professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. He is one of leading researchers in the study of how psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD and DMT can change the human brain and in doing so, be used to successfully treat various mental health challenges such as major depression, anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction. He explains how psilocybin induces sustained changes in adaptive brain wiring and cognition. We discuss the key components of safe and effective psychedelic journeys, the role of hallucinations, the use of eye-masks to encourage people to “go internal,” and music, as well as what effective therapist support consists of before, during and after the session (also known as integration). We discuss micodosing vs. macrodosing and how researchers control for placebo effects in psychedelic research. We also discuss the current legal landscape around psychedelic therapies. Psychedelic therapies are fast emerging as powerful and soon-to-be mainstream treatments for medical health disorders, but they are not without their risks. As such, this episode ought to be of use to anyone interested in brain plasticity, mental health, psychology or neuroscience.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.