Anthropology

Classical music illicit drugs work better with classical

The playlist isn’t based on the musical taste of the subjects or the researchers in the project. We have learned that in high-dose sessions, especially during the onset and intense period of entheogen effects, the supportive structure of the music is more important than either the guide’s or the volunteer’s personal musical preferences. The psilocybin…

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Psychology

Mind your body: the shroom shift

Now rigorously designed experiments confirm that while recreational use can be dangerous hallucinogens can actually change people for the better—often permanently. What’s remarkable about the recent psilocybin experiments is not just their dramatic effects but the time frame. Personality shifts tend to be slow and gradual in adulthood, barring a sudden trauma, says University of…

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Science

From Psilocybin to MDMA: Researchers are in the throes of a psychedelic revival

Those who reported a “mystical experience” had the most success in breaking their addiction. Griffiths’s lab pressed ahead with their work in a 2014 study on the possibility of treating nicotine addiction with psilocybin, the psychedelic component of “magic mushrooms.” Participants had three psilocybin sessions and three cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions to diminish cravings. Eighty percent…

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Psychology

Can ‘magic’ mushrooms ease the pain of rejection?

“Lead researcher Katrin Preller of the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich explained that psilocybin has much more specific targets than antidepressants currently on the market.” It’s too small of a study to draw any strong conclusions from, and the participants were all healthy — they didn’t actually suffer from severe social anxiety or depression. But…

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Biography/Memoir

‘Magic mushrooms’ study challenges stereotypes of psychedelic drug use

“[Our goal was to bring] an unknown topic to most people on campus and the Madison community,” Hanley said. “But it also highlights this really unique research happening on campus.” Wisconsin Union Directorate Society and Politics Committee hosted the event in collaboration with Nicholas Cozzi, a pharmacologist in the School of Medicine and Public Health.…

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