Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
This paper describes psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, which means giving drugs like ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD or ibogaine together with guided therapy. The authors say this approach has shown promising safety and benefits so far, even for people who did not get better with usual treatments. They also argue that these therapies…
Researchers surveyed 886 people who attended guided psychedelic retreats to test a scale of shared, togetherness experiences called "communitas." They found that stronger communitas during ceremonies was linked to small but measurable increases in psychological wellbeing and social connectedness up to four weeks after the retreat. Good relationships with facilitators,…
Ibogaine is a psychoactive chemical from a West African shrub that some clinics use to help people stop using opioids or stimulants. Small studies, animal research, and many personal reports say a single high dose can cut opioid withdrawal and reduce cravings. For example, one study found 50% of participants…
In this rat study, animals got a single injection of ibogaine at 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg and the researchers measured three neurotrophic factors (GDNF, BDNF, NGF) in four brain regions (VTA, prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, substantia nigra) at 3 and 24 hours. The main changes appeared at 24 hours:…
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non‑intoxicating chemical from cannabis that affects brain signaling. It is used in one FDA‑approved medicine (Epidiolex) for some severe seizure disorders. Research suggests CBD may help with seizures, psychosis, anxiety, pain, inflammation, sleep, and some brain disorders, but the evidence is still incomplete. CBD taken by…
This paper is a review of recent research on psychedelic drugs. The authors say some clinical trials show these drugs can help people with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse problems, and depression that has not improved with other treatments. But scientists do not yet understand all the biological ways these…
This paper reviews research on three naturally occurring psychedelics: psilocybin, ibogaine, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (the active part of the brew ayahuasca). It explains that these drugs work on the brain's serotonin system and summarizes growing studies that suggest they might help with problems like post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, anxiety, and…
This report describes informal ibogaine treatments given in a small program. In 24 sessions (18 aimed at addiction), a single ibogaine dose often stopped physical opioid withdrawal and created a window when people felt more able to choose. Some people stayed drug-free for months or years, but many relapsed and…
