Huberman Lab

Dr. Matthew Johnson: Psychedelics for Treating Mental Disorders

Sep 20, 2021

In this enlightening discussion, Dr. Matthew Johnson, a leading researcher at Johns Hopkins, explores the groundbreaking potential of psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA in treating mental health disorders. He details the clinical trials underway in his lab and explains the therapeutic framework necessary for success. Dr. Johnson also tackles common misconceptions, safety issues, and the evolving legal landscape surrounding psychedelics, emphasizing their transformative power in psychiatric medicine. His insights illuminate how these substances could redefine mental health care.

02:49:19

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Episode guests

Matthew Johnson

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Quick takeaways

Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and LSD have shown potential in treating mental disorders such as depression and trauma by reshaping neural circuitry in the brain.

Psychedelics can alter perception and expand consciousness, allowing for a deeper focus on sensory experiences and emotions.

Psychedelic experiences can lead to profound changes in self-representation and identity, offering therapeutic benefits for conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction.

Integration and reflection after a psychedelic experience are crucial for processing and deriving meaning from the journey.

Although microdosing psychedelics is popular, scientific evidence supporting its efficacy is limited, and excessive use can have cognitive and psychological side effects.

Psychedelics have varied legal status globally, with growing interest in decriminalization and potential regulatory changes to allow for safe and controlled use.

Deep dives

Understanding the use of psychedelics for treating mental disorders

The podcast episode explores the potential use of psychedelic compounds in treating various mental disorders. It highlights the research conducted by Dr. Matthew Johnson, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and his laboratory's understanding of how these compounds, such as psilocybin and LSD, can shape and change neural circuitry in the brain to combat diseases like depression and trauma.

Different Classes of Psychedelics: Classic Psychedelics and Structural Differences

01:22

Neuronetwork change in response to experience, not language

01:27

The Similarities and Differences in Chemical Structures of Seratonin and Silisiban

01:05

Antidepressin Effects

01:55

Intro

2min

Exploring Psychedelic Treatments and Nutritional Health

2min

The Importance of Hydration and Mindfulness for Cognitive Function

3min

Exploring Psychedelics: Classification and Effects

11min

The Nature of Perception and Predictive Learning

2min

Psychedelics and Brain Chemistry

5min

Exploring Ketamine's Therapeutic Potential and its Role in Psychedelic Therapy

3min

Navigating Psychedelic Clinical Trials

7min

The Healing Power of Psychedelics

25min

10.

Integrating Psychedelic Experiences

23min

11.

Psychedelics, Health, and Mental Well-being

17min

12.

Understanding LSD: Dosing, History, and Microdosing Myths

23min

13.

Psychedelics and Mental Health: A New Frontier

26min

14.

The Funding Landscape of Psychedelic Research

21min

15.

Exploring the Future of Psychedelics in Mental Health

2min

This episode I discuss medical research on psychedelic compounds with Dr. Matthew Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We discuss the biology and medical clinical-trial uses of psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca, DMT, and LSD. Dr. Johnson teaches us what the clinical trials in his lab are revealing about the potential these compounds hold for the treatment of depression, addiction, trauma, eating disorders, ADHD, and other disorders of the mind. Dr. Johnson describes a typical psychedelic experiment in his laboratory, start to finish, including the conditions for optimal clinical outcomes. And he explains some of the potential hazards and common misconceptions and pitfalls related to psychedelic medicine. Dr. Johnson explains flashbacks, the heightened risks of certain people and age groups using psychedelics and the ever evolving legal and pharmaceutical industry landscape surrounding psychedelics. Dr. Johnson also explains how the scientific study of psychedelics is likely to set the trajectory of psychiatric medicine in the years to come. Dr. Johnson is among a small handful of researchers who have pioneered the clinical study of these powerful compounds. He has unprecedented insight into how they can be woven into other psychiatric treatments, changing ones sense of self and of reality.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Matthew Johnson

00:02:27 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:06:40 ‘Psychedelics’ Defined

00:14:09 Hallucinations, Synesthesia, Altered Space-Time Perception

00:19:56 Serotonin & Dopamine

00:23:50 Ketamine & Glutamate

00:28:00 An Example Psychedelic Experiment

00:37:30 ‘Letting Go’ with Psychedelics

00:44:10 Our Mind’s Eye

00:48:00 Redefining Your Sense of Self

00:58:56 Exporting Psychedelic Learnings to Daily Life

01:04:36 Flashbacks

01:12:10 Ayahuasca, ASMR, Kundalini Breathing

01:15:54 MDMA, DMT

01:26:00 Dangers of Psychedelics, Bad Trips, Long-Lasting Psychosis

01:38:15 Micro-Dosing

01:56:45 Risks for Kids, Adolescents & Teenagers; Future Clinical Trials

02:03:40 Legal Status: Decriminalization vs. Legalization vs. Regulation

02:18:35 Psychedelics for Treating Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury

02:27:45 Shifting Trends in Psychedelic Research, Academic Culture

02:44:23 Participating in a Clinical Trial, Online Survey Studies, Breathwork

02:50:38 Conclusions, Subscribing & Supporting the HLP, Supplements

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Huberman Lab

Dr. Matthew Johnson: Psychedelics for Treating Mental Disorders

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Understanding the use of psychedelics for treating mental disorders

Effects of psychedelics on human behavior and perception

Therapeutic potential of psychedelics and self-representation

The importance of integration and reflection after a psychedelic experience

The potential risks of microdosing with psychedelics

Legality of psychedelics for therapeutic use and possession

Interest in psychedelics as investments

The need for further research on psychedelics

Decriminalization vs. Legalization of Psychedelics

The Potential for Regulation of Psychedelics

Exploring the Potential of Psychedelics in Treating Neurological Injuries

Different Classes of Psychedelics: Classic Psychedelics and Structural Differences

Neuronetwork change in response to experience, not language

The Similarities and Differences in Chemical Structures of Seratonin and Silisiban

Antidepressin Effects

Thank you to our sponsors

Timestamps

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts