Unexplainable Are psychedelics breaking science?
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Oct 23, 2024 
Jonathan Lambert, a science journalist specializing in psychedelics and mental health, dives into the promising potential of substances like ecstasy and mushrooms in treating conditions such as PTSD and depression. He discusses the complexities of conducting unbiased clinical trials and the influence of participants’ knowledge on research outcomes. The conversation also emphasizes the vital role of therapeutic context, innovative study designs, and the need for a reevaluation of current research models to better understand the healing power of psychedelics.
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Blinding Issues in Psychedelic Studies
- It's difficult to conduct blinded studies on psychedelics because participants can usually tell if they've taken the drug.
- This makes it hard to isolate the drug's effects from participant expectations, potentially skewing results.
Methamphetamine as an Active Control
- Researcher Harriet Dewitt uses methamphetamine as an active control in MDMA studies.
- This is because meth is chemically similar to MDMA and can help differentiate the treatment's effects from placebo effects.
Tripless Psychedelics
- Scientists are exploring "tripless psychedelics" to isolate the neuroplastic benefits without the psychedelic experience.
- This could make treatment more accessible, but some skeptics believe the psychedelic experience is crucial for the therapeutic effect.