Fungal Species: Psilocybe (magic mushrooms)

Leveraging psychedelic neuroscience to boost human creativity using artificial intelligence

Psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin enhance creativity by disrupting the brain’s Default Mode Network, allowing people to break free from rigid thinking patterns. This paper proposes that artificial intelligence systems could be designed to mimic these same cognitive effects—introducing novel information, making unexpected connections, and gradually expanding comfort with new ideas—thereby enhancing human creativity without drugs. By personalizing AI systems to each person’s personality type and gradually increasing novelty levels, these tools could make creative thinking accessible to people who might not naturally gravitate toward it.

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Moral enhancement and cheapened achievement: Psychedelics, virtual reality and AI

This paper examines whether using drugs or technology to become a more moral person cheapens the value of that achievement, similar to debates about ‘cheating’ through cognitive enhancers. The authors argue that realistic applications of psychedelics, virtual reality, and AI—when used to facilitate rather than replace moral learning—can actually preserve what makes moral improvement valuable: our own effort, reflection, and engagement with moral reasons.

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Prospective Preference Assessment for the Psilocybin for Enhanced Analgesia in Chronic nEuropathic PAIN (PEACE-PAIN) Trial

Researchers surveyed chronic pain patients about their willingness to participate in a trial testing psilocybin (a compound from magic mushrooms) as a pain treatment. About 77% of patients were interested in participating. Interestingly, patients who had previously used psychedelics were much more willing to join the trial. Common reasons for wanting to participate included needing new pain treatments, while concerns about side effects and practical difficulties like attending multiple appointments discouraged others.

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