Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is one example of a fungus which can alter the human mind.
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Australia is the first country in the world to legalise the medical use of psychedelics. But without a public subsidy, few Australians will be able to afford them.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing cancer treatment can be a traumatizing experience. Psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin and MDMA could help alleviate symptoms from cancer-related PTSD.
While ‘The Last of Us’ is a dramatic projection of a deadly fungal outbreak, it is based, if not in reality, in logic. And it’s a reminder that fungal infections are growing more resistant.
The early research suggests the drugs might be effective for some conditions. But scientists have safety concerns.
From July this year, some psychiatrists will be able to prescribe psychedelics to some patients. Responses from experts working in the field are mixed.
Alberta’s new policy on psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental illness may set a precedent that moves Canadians one step closer to accepting psychedelics as medicinal substances.
Today’s psychedelics researchers still have to deal with the fallout of the decadeslong freeze on research. Listen to ‘The Conversation Weekly’ podcast.
Some psychedelic drugs – paired with therapy – hold great potential for helping sufferers of PTSD, depression and other mental health disorders.
The TGA is considering a proposal to reclassify psilocybin and MDMA from their current status as prohibited substances. This would allow psychiatrists to use these drugs to treat mental illness.
The TGA is currently evaluating a proposal to legalise MDMA and psilocybin for the treatment of mental illness. But there are a few reasons Australia isn’t quite ready to take this step.
How on earth did an obscure Roman social practice end up lending its name to a modern psychedelic?
Rather than a vaccine to beef up your immune system, a psychoactive substance could boost your cooperative, pro-social behavior – curtailing the selfish actions that spur on coronavirus’s spread.
Psychedelics can help reset the brain, shaking it out of old patterns. The current state of uncertainty could have similar impacts - a metaphorical psychedelic dose - for new insights.
Australia is about to start its first trial of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of anxiety and depression. If the results are positive, this could transform the way we treat mental illness.
Research shows therapeutic psilocybin to be a safe and effective antidote to end-of-life anxiety and depression. Does prohibition therefore violate our right to “life, liberty and security?”
According to new research, individuals who take small regular doses of psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms score higher on mental health, well-being and creativity.
To know the real promise of psychedelic substances like LSD, mushrooms and MDMA, researchers must embrace the principles and practise of ‘open science.’
Once associated with mind-control experiments and counter-cultural defiance, psychedelics now show great promise for mental health treatments and may prompt a re-evaluation of the scientific method.
Humans have a desire to transcend everyday existence. So laws banning psychoactive substances are on a hiding to nothing.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University
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Research fellow, Swinburne University of Technology
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Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut
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Professor and Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice, University of Saskatchewan
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PhD Candidate, Congnitive Neuroscience, University of Toronto
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PhD student in Clinical Psychology, York University, Canada
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Emeritus Professor, The National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland
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Professor, Monash University
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Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Director of Psychedelics Division at Neuroscape, University of California, San Francisco
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Medicinal Chemist, UNSW Sydney
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Wellcome Trust Fellow, Brunel University London
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Professor of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University
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Adjunct Professor in the School of Child & Youth Care, University of Victoria
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Associate Professor of Medical Ethics, Humanities and Law, Western Michigan University
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PhD Student & Teaching Fellow, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Ontario
