therapeutic action: psychological insight

If psychedelics heal, how do they do it?

Psychedelic drugs like MDMA and magic mushrooms are showing remarkable promise in treating serious mental health conditions like PTSD and depression, with clinical trials demonstrating higher success rates than traditional therapy alone. However, scientists still don’t fully understand how these drugs work at the molecular and brain level, or whether the hallucinations they produce are necessary for healing. Researchers are investigating whether modified versions without hallucinations could provide the same benefits while being easier to administer, while also exploring how individual factors and treatment environment affect outcomes.

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Decreases in State and Trait Anxiety Post-psilocybin: A Naturalistic, Observational Study Among Retreat Attendees

This study followed 52 people who attended psilocybin retreats in the Netherlands and measured their anxiety levels before, one day after, and one week after the experience. Participants showed significant reductions in both immediate anxiety (state anxiety) and long-term anxiety tendencies (trait anxiety) that lasted up to a week. The anxiety improvements were most strongly linked to feeling a sense of ego dissolution during the experience and to lasting changes in personality traits, particularly becoming less neurotic.

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Down the rabbit hole – the psychological and neural mechanisms of psychedelic compounds and their use in treating mental health and medical conditions

Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and LSD are showing significant promise for treating various mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. These substances appear to work through multiple mechanisms, including inducing profound mystical experiences and increasing neuroplasticity in the brain. Research indicates that environmental and contextual factors significantly influence how effective these treatments are, and even virtual reality experiences mimicking psychedelic effects show therapeutic benefits. The field is moving toward responsible, evidence-based clinical applications of psychedelics in psychiatry.

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Psychedelics and the Serotonin Hypothesis of Eating Disorders

This review explores how psychedelic drugs like psilocybin (found in certain mushrooms) might help treat eating disorders by promoting flexible thinking and breaking rigid eating patterns. The authors summarize evidence from animal studies and early clinical trials showing that psychedelics work differently than traditional antidepressants by triggering brain changes that help people adopt new, healthier behaviors. While results are promising, more research is needed to determine the best doses, patient populations, and long-term safety.

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Deconstructing Psychedelic Phenomenology: A Thematic Analysis of Discrete Phases of the Psychedelic Experience

This study examined how people describe their experiences with psychedelic drugs by analyzing personal accounts shared online. Researchers found that experiences naturally fall into three phases: preparation (where knowledge and intentions matter), the actual experience (where sensory changes, mindset, and environment shape what happens), and afterward (where lasting behavioral and attitude changes occur). The study highlights how music, nature, supportive people, and clear intentions can help guide psychedelic experiences toward positive, meaningful outcomes.

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