By Maia Szalavitz — 2012
A new brain-scan study helps explain how psilocybin works—and why it holds promise as a treatment for depression, addiction and post-traumatic stress.
Read on healthland.time.com
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LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is a synthetic drug with potent psychedelic properties. Commonly known as acid, it was originally derived from compounds found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye.
In the 1950s a group of pioneering psychiatrists showed that hallucinogenic drugs had therapeutic potential, but the research was halted as part of the backlash against the hippy counterculture.
A new review of studies finds that LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA hold potential for treating mental illness.
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It seems that psychedelics do more than simply alter perception. According to the latest research from my colleagues and me, they change the structures of neurons themselves.
The scientists hope their long-awaited study on LSD in humans will open the floodgates to further research into psychedelics.
Psychedelic drugs are making a quiet comeback, as a smattering of recent studies have demonstrated their medicinal potential. The latest finding suggests it is time to revisit LSD as a treatment for addiction.
The drug lowers brain barriers, allowing distant regions to talk and thoughts to flow more freely.
The mind-altering drug has been shown to help people suffering from anxiety and depression. But how it helps, who it will serve, and who will profit are open questions.
A well-kept American secret is that the CIA-funded research that exploited incarcerated Black Americans along with other vulnerable groups in America’s hunt for a “mind-control” drug.
There is a growing research literature suggesting psychedelics hold incredible promise for treating mental health ailments ranging from depression and anxiety to PTSD. But how do we know for sure?