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 randomized, double‑blind, cross‑over trial gave 51 patients with life‑threatening cancer two sessions of psilocybin (one very low dose and one high dose) spaced five weeks apart. The high dose (22–30 mg/70 kg) produced large drops in clinician‑ and self‑rated depression and anxiety, and increased quality of life, meaning, and…
Recent, early-phase trials suggest psychedelics—especially psilocybin—may help treat several mental and substance use disorders. The psychedelic experience can include loss of self-importance, feelings of unity or connection, ineffable insights, and encounters with ‘deep’ reality or God, and it can change a person’s personality and worldview. The authors argue these unusual…
This randomized trial tested rose water inhalation in 46 hemodialysis patients. One group inhaled rose water for 4 weeks and the other group had no intervention. After 4 weeks the treated group had lower average state and trait anxiety scores, and the reductions were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The…
This paper gives a historical overview of Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of healthcare. It says Ayurveda has been used for more than 5,000 years and was well established around 2500–600 BC. The article describes core ideas of the system (doshas, dhatus, and gunas), names classic texts, and says treatments…
This 2019 scoping review explores how the four classical elements—Fire, Water, Earth, and Air—can map onto modern, changeable exposures and therapies that might affect mental health. The authors summarize emerging evidence from both population studies and intervention trials for things like UV or heat therapy (Fire), sauna and hydrotherapy (Water),…
Researchers reviewed 19 placebo-controlled studies that tested low doses of LSD or psilocybin (this is called microdosing). The studies found measurable changes in brain biology, body responses, how people felt, and how they thought, compared with placebo. But the studies are few and small, often tested only tiny doses in…
The paper says that psychedelics can produce mystical-type beliefs, like the idea that reality is a loving consciousness. The author argues we should not call these beliefs delusional just because they clash with naturalism (the view that only natural stuff exists). Instead, the paper recommends “metaphysical agnosticism” — holding off…
