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 meta-analysis combined 32 randomized trials from 25 articles to see if aromatherapy lowers anxiety. It found that both inhalation and massage aromatherapy were linked with lower scores on a common anxiety scale (STAI). The review noted no reported side effects, but said more research is needed on the right…
This 2020 review looks at terpenoids in essential oils and how they might help with anxiety and depression. Animal studies reported that some essential oils and components like linalool reduce anxiety-like behavior. The authors suggest these effects likely come from changes in glutamate and GABA brain signaling. They also note…
This scoping review looked at research from 2012–2022 on how essential oils affect the nervous system. The authors included about 70 studies in humans, animals, and cell models. Across these studies, different oils (especially lavender and citrus) and mostly inhalation methods were linked to effects on stress, sleep, mood, pain,…
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…
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…
