Pondering Psychedelics with Franz Vollenweider

Professor Franz Vollenweider of the University of Zurich is psychiatrist and neuroscientist who has been at the forefront of research on drugs that induce altered states of consciousness. Using state of the art brain imaging technologies, pharmacological tools, and psychological evaluations, he and his research team have made major advances toward a clear understanding the neurobiological basis of the psychedelic experience. Here talks about how psychedelic chemicals such as psilocybin, LSD, and ketamine affect neuronal network excitability in ways that elicit hallucinations and altered states of brain function. He also talks about the emerging evidence that psychedelics can be very beneficial for people with depression and may also facilitate recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs.