Knowledge Tree
psychedelic substances
Also known as: psychedelic agents
Facts (24)
Sources
The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences - Frontiers frontiersin.org Sep 27, 2017 9 facts
claimPsychedelic substances enhanced the experiences at the core of shamanic practices and extended the psychological, cognitive, and social potentials of ritual alterations of consciousness.
claimPsychedelic substances interrupt cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops that inhibit sensory gating systems in lower brain structures, resulting in the enhanced availability of information that is normally repressed.
claimPsychedelic substances disrupt the habitual patterns of thought associated with the default mode network (DMN).
claimThe fitness advantages offered by psychedelic substances impacted the evolution of human consciousness and aspects of human social psychology.
claimPsychedelic substances may have operated as environmental factors that selected for an enhanced capacity for specific forms of information processing in humans.
claimThe disruption of the default mode network (DMN) is a reported effect of psychedelic substances, as observed in research projects beginning with Carhart-Harris et al. (2012).
claimThe selective influences of psychedelic substances on human adaptation occurred within the context of social rituals.
claimDouble-blind clinical studies conducted by Griffiths et al. (2006, 2008, 2011) provide evidence that spiritual experiences are directly caused by the neuropharmacological effects of psychedelic substances.
referenceDavid Nichols' 2016 review article, 'Psychedelics', provides a comprehensive overview of the pharmacology and effects of psychedelic substances.
the consumption of psychoactive plants in ancient global and ... academia.edu 3 facts
perspectiveThe author of the text argues that modern society demonizes or labels psychedelic substances as recreational, which suppresses claims of spiritual connection.
claimThe use of psychedelic substances for medicinal and therapeutic purposes has existed for thousands of years and is closely linked to shamanism.
claimScholars fear researching the spiritual aspects of psychedelic substances due to the risk of professional ostracization, being branded as a heretic by the Church, or imprisonment by the state.
Psychedelics and Consciousness: Distinctions, Demarcations, and ... blossomanalysis.com 2 facts
claimPsychedelic substances are unlikely to elucidate the biological basis for phenomenal consciousness, also known as the 'hard problem of consciousness,' which involves explaining how first-person experience emerges.
claimYaden and colleagues observe that while there is renewed scientific interest in psychedelic substances and their effects on subjective experience, the term 'consciousness' is often used in multiple, conflated ways in popular books and commentary.
Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution frontiersin.org 2 facts
claimRitual elements such as cultural expectations, mimetic enactments, verbal displays, songs, and dances serve an important function in enabling healing alongside the use of psychedelic substances.
claimPsychedelic substances generate their effects primarily by interacting with the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) system, binding to the 5-HT2A receptor as partial agonists.
Psychedelics and Consciousness: Distinctions, Demarcations, and ... ouci.dntb.gov.ua 2 facts
claimThe researchers hypothesized that the bacterial meningoencephalitis affecting the subject's neocortex may have triggered downstream neural activity similar to that initiated by psychedelic agents through pyramidal neuronal activation.
claimDavid B Yaden, Matthew W Johnson, Roland R Griffiths, Manoj K Doss, Albert Garcia-Romeu, Sandeep Nayak, Natalie Gukasyan, Brian N Mathur, and Frederick S Barrett assert that psychedelic substances produce unusual and compelling changes in conscious experience.
Psychedelics and disorders of consciousness - Oxford Academic academic.oup.com 2 facts
claimThere is currently less academic discussion regarding the use of psychedelic substances to treat disorders of consciousness compared to the discussion surrounding their use for psychiatric conditions.
claimClinical trials are currently underway to investigate whether psychedelic substances can treat psychiatric conditions.
The Montreal model: an integrative biomedical-psychedelic ... frontiersin.org 1 fact
perspectivePsychedelic substances can magnify an individual's slight preference for a specific context (such as a musical playlist) into radically different experiences, suggesting that there is no single 'best' playlist for psychedelic therapy, but rather a best choice for a specific patient on a specific day.
The Causal Role of Consciousness in Psychedelic Therapy for ... pubs.acs.org Jun 27, 2025 1 fact
claimPsychedelic substances, particularly psilocybin, possess therapeutic potential for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression.
An introduction to psychedelic neuroscience - ScienceDirect.com sciencedirect.com 1 fact
claimThe volume "Psychedelic Neuroscience" in Elsevier's Progress in Brain Research series addresses the neurobiological mechanisms of psychedelic substances.
DRUGS, RITUALS AND ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS semanticscholar.org 1 fact
referenceThe 2022 publication Frontiers in Psychology discusses psychotherapy involving the use of psychedelic substances, specifically identifying psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and ketamine as examples.