Psilocybin Might Make Your Brain Live in the Moment
A large neuroimaging study suggests that psilocybin reorganizes brain activity into more distinct patterns during specific tasks. These findings provide a biological basis for the sense of immersion and unity often reported by users of the psychedelic.
Why it matters
Understanding how psychedelics affect neural connectivity could lead to new therapeutic applications for mental health conditions.
But in one of the largest neuroimaging studies on the effects of psilocybin to date, researchers uncovered a hidden order in the apparent chaos. The study, published in Nature, indicates that while psilocybin blurs some of the boundaries within the brain, our neurological reactions to what we're experiencing in that moment become even more distinct.
The researchers tracked moment-by-moment changes across 332 regions of the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography, two methods of measuring brain activity. The 62 participants, who had no prior experience with psychedelics, took 19 milligrams of psilocybin in an oral capsule and then meditated, listened to music, or watched a movie.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in