https://archive.ph/zDBkC

A small new study shows reactions in the brain in people who were given psilocybin in a controlled setting.

The scans, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, offer a rare glimpse into the wild neural storm associated with mind-altering drugs. Researchers say they could provide a potential road map for understanding how psychedelic compounds like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA can lead to lasting relief from depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders.

“Psilocybin, in contrast to any other drug we’ve tested, has this massive effect on the whole brain that was pretty unexpected,” said Dr. Nico Dosenbach, a professor of neurology at Washington University and a senior author of the study. “It was quite shocking when we saw the effect size.”

Dr. Jan Ramaekers, a professor of psychopharmacology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands who was not involved in the study, said…“Treatments with psilocybin, even though they are effective, don’t last forever,” he said. “At some point, they need to be done again.”