Psilociety Weekly: Rewiring the Brain: Ayahuasca, LSD, and the Science of Psychedelic Healing

Welcome to the first edition of?Psilociety Weekly.?

Psilociety

/?sa?l??sa??ti, ?s?l??sa??ti/

noun Psilocybin Society

A collective dedicated to advancing public understanding of psilocybin and psychedelic research through summaries of scientific studies and in-depth interviews with leading researchers.

My journey with psychedelics began in the UK in 2004.?

I've used mushrooms therapeutically ever since. Usually, every six months or so, I'll find a quiet place to take some shrooms and assess where my brain is at.

I find psilocybin forces me to be introspective and honest about my circumstances, relationships, state of mind, and problems. I also use mushrooms to think. I'm able to focus on a specific idea and get super creative.

Psilocybin mushrooms have helped me immensely. I cannot understand why these natural substances are regulated and banned—especially when there is growing evidence to support the fact psilocybin offers many benefits.

It gives me great joy that things are changing with new studies emerging about psilocybin's ability to heal. I found it difficult to read many studies, so I used AI tools to help summarize and distill the information.

This self-education led me to start Psilociety—a place to share these summaries about psychedelic research. Psilociety is also a place for scientists and researchers to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions about these substances.

I want to use this collective expertise to create frameworks and pathways for governments worldwide to legalize psychedelics responsibly.

These substances should not be seen as "alternative therapies" but rather as natural remedies for tackling mental health conditions.

And with that, the first edition of Psilociety Weekly:

?? This Week in Psychedelic Science

• Study suggests LSD may improve cognitive flexibility for addiction treatment, whereas MDMA’s impact on emotional processing could support PTSD therapy. Read more ??
• Pre-print study provides insights into how psychedelics influence sensory processing and may have implications for understanding altered states of consciousness. Read more ??
• Serotonergic psychedelics (psilocybin, DMT, LSD) may help alleviate symptoms of Long COVID by enhancing serotonergic transmission, promoting neuroplasticity, and reducing inflammation. Read more ??

???Deep Dive: Featured Study of the Week

Title:?Ayahuasca Enhances the Formation of Hippocampal-Dependent Episodic Memory Without Impacting False Memory Susceptibility in Experienced Ayahuasca Users: An Observational Study

Published In:?Journal of Psychopharmacology

Key Finding:?This study found that ayahuasca—an Amazonian psychedelic brew—helped experienced users remember events more accurately without making them more prone to false memories. While other psychedelics like psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) can sometimes blur memories or make people more suggestible, ayahuasca appeared to sharpen recall of real experiences.

Why It Matters:

• Memory is crucial for learning, therapy, and personal growth. If a psychedelic like ayahuasca can enhance memory while keeping it accurate, it may have potential for use in trauma therapy, self-exploration, or even cognitive enhancement.
• Unlike substances that distort memory (which could raise ethical concerns in therapy), ayahuasca seems to improve recall without increasing the risk of remembering things that never happened.
• The study suggests that the β-carbolines in ayahuasca (compounds that work alongside DMT) may be responsible for this memory boost—pointing to new areas of research for cognitive function and mental health.

Read the full summary with link to the full study ??

????Expert Insights

Dr. Bill Richards on Psychedelics and Christian Mysticism:

"The role of faith, not necessarily as adherence to a specific religious creed, but as a conscious decision to 'choose to trust,' is of fundamental importance in both religious lives and psychedelic-assisted explorations. This may be seen as congruent with Christian conversion experiences in which one chooses to 'give one’s life to Christ.'"

Richards highlights how mystical experiences induced by psychedelics can deepen spiritual understanding, offering insights that resonate across religious traditions.

The 2024 study, Psychedelic Christianity: Commentary and Reply, explores the intersection of psychedelics and Christianity, examining how mystical experiences induced by substances like psilocybin can deepen spiritual understanding.

The research highlights historical connections between psychedelics and Christian mysticism, as well as contemporary theological debates on their role in faith practice. Experts, including Dr. Bill Richards, emphasize how these experiences can foster profound spiritual transformation while challenging traditional religious frameworks.

Enjoy the first edition of Psilociety Weekly? Sign up to receive this newsletter weekly and follow Psilociety for daily psychedelic news updates ??

???Research Spotlight: Open Calls & Clinical Trials

Opportunities to participate in psychedelic research.

United States

• Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Smoking Cessation?– NYU Langone's Center for Psychedelic Medicine is recruiting individuals interested in quitting smoking for a study involving psilocybin-assisted therapy.
• Psilocybin for Chronic Low Back Pain?– The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is conducting a study to evaluate whether psilocybin therapy can help patients cope more effectively with chronic low back pain
• Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Advanced Cancer?– NYU Langone's Center for Psychedelic Medicine is seeking participants for a study examining the effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy on depression and anxiety in patients with advanced cancer.
• Psilocybin for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?– Sheppard Pratt is recruiting participants with GAD for a study involving MM120 (a semisynthetic form of LSD) to assess its potential in improving anxiety symptoms.
• Psilocybin for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)?– Sheppard Pratt is also seeking participants with MDD for a trial evaluating the efficacy of MM120 in alleviating depressive symptoms.

United Kingdom

• Psychedelics and Couples Study?– Imperial College London is investigating the long-term effects of psychedelics, including MDMA and psilocybin, on romantic couples. They are seeking couples planning to use these substances together.
• Ketamine and Synaptogenesis Study?– Imperial College London is recruiting participants for a study exploring how ketamine affects synaptogenesis (the formation of new neural connections) and its potential role in treating depression. Researchers aim to better understand ketamine’s impact on brain plasticity and mental health.
• Psilocybin for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Study?– Imperial College London is seeking participants for a study investigating the effects of psilocybin on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The research aims to explore how psilocybin impacts symptoms and brain function in individuals with OCD.
• DMT and Synaptogenesis Study?– Imperial College London is recruiting participants to explore how DMT influences synaptogenesis (the formation of new neural connections). This study aims to understand its potential role in neuroplasticity and mental health treatments.

???Community & Resources

Books, podcasts, events, and educational content for the Psilociety community.

?? Recommended Book: Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences by William Richards (featured in this week's ????Expert Insights)— This book explores how psychedelics influence consciousness, spirituality, and mental health, drawing from decades of legal research.

??? Podcast Recommendation: Huberman Lab with Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris: Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, a leading researcher in psychedelic neuroscience, discusses how substances like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT influence brain plasticity and cognition, offering potential treatments for mental health conditions such as depression, OCD, and addiction.

?? Upcoming event: Psychedelic Intersections 2025?– Scheduled for February 15, 2025, in Cambridge, MA, (livestream available) this conference brings together interdisciplinary scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss the intersection of psychedelics and spirituality. It features research tracks on Psychedelic Chaplaincy, Indigenous Plant Medicine Traditions, and Psychedelic Aesthetics and the Transcendent.

Enjoy the first edition of Psilociety Weekly? Sign up to receive this newsletter weekly and follow Psilociety for daily psychedelic news updates ??