About
Psychedelic research, suppressed after the 1970s drug laws, has experienced a remarkable renaissance. Clinical trials at Johns Hopkins, Imperial College London, and NYU have demonstrated that psilocybin (magic mushrooms) produces rapid and sustained improvements in treatment-resistant depression, end-of-life anxiety, PTSD, and addiction — effects lasting months from a single dose.
MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD has shown 67% remission rates in clinical trials — compared to 32% for therapy alone. The FDA granted MDMA 'Breakthrough Therapy' designation. Ketamine (and its derivative esketamine/Spravato) is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. LSD research at Imperial College has shown promise for addiction treatment. These compounds appear to work by temporarily disrupting the default mode network — the brain's 'ego' circuitry.
# Top 10 psychedelic therapies
- 1psilocybin for depression
- 2MDMA for PTSD
- 3ketamine for depression
- 4ayahuasca for addiction
- 5LSD microdosing for creativity
- 6ibogaine for opioid addiction
- 75-MeO-DMT for anxiety
- 8psilocybin for end-of-life anxiety
- 9mescaline research
- 10MDMA for couples therapy
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Psilocybin therapy for depression produces improvements lasting months from a single dose — no daily medication required
- ◆MDMA-assisted therapy achieves 67% PTSD remission — compared to 32% with therapy alone
- ◆LSD was discovered accidentally in 1943 by Albert Hofmann, who synthesized it and then accidentally absorbed it through his fingertips
More in Science4 related
4
Science
Black Holes
The most extreme objects in the universe, where physics itself breaks down.
Interest95/100
3
Science
DNA Discovery
The double helix: discovering life's blueprint changed everything.
Interest94/100
36
Science
Evolution
Darwin's theory of natural selection explains the diversity of all life on Earth.
Interest82/100
37
Science
The Big Bang
The birth of the universe — from a hot, dense singularity to 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution.
Interest81/100