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A psychedelic state arises from desynchronized brain activity

After a person takes the psychedelic compound psilocybin, some of their brain networks dissolve — especially the one involved in the perception of self, space and time. Changes to the connections to this network can last for weeks.
  1. Petros D. Petridis

    1. Petros D. Petridis is in the Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.

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Psilocybin, the main psychoactive molecule in ‘magic mushrooms’, is a psychedelic compound that induces rapid, profound shifts in perception and cognition. Results from modern clinical trials over the past two decades suggest that psilocybin, coupled with talk therapy, can be used to treat major depressive disorder1,2, addiction3, existential distress4,5 and more. Interestingly, the therapeutic effects of psilocybin are not only rapid but also sustained, often lasting weeks, months or even years6,7. However, the brain states underlying the acute and persistent effects of psilocybin remain mostly unknown. Writing in Nature, Siegel et al.8 report their analyses of brain changes in healthy volunteers who ingested a high dose of psilocybin, providing remarkable insights into the mechanisms by which psilocybin alters brain function both acutely and persistently.

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Nature 632, 32-33 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02154-6

References

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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