Study Finds Psilocybin Sharpens Brain Responses to Current Experiences
A large neuroimaging trial shows that psilocybin makes moment-by-moment brain activity more distinct, contrary to the idea that it merely creates chaos.
In one of the biggest brain-imaging investigations of psilocybin to date, scientists tracked activity across 332 brain regions in 62 participants who had never used psychedelics before. Each subject took a 19-milligram oral dose of psilocybin and then either meditated, listened to music, or watched a movie while functional MRI and EEG recorded their neural signals. Machine-learning techniques uncovered distinct activity patterns linked to each task, and the intensity of the psychedelic state correlated with clearer, more differentiated signals.
Those who described the most vivid feelings of oneness and immersion also showed the strongest neural signatures. Devon Stoliker, the study’s lead author, noted that while internal and external processing networks blur under psilocybin, they reorganize into patterns that reflect what the person is experiencing. Adeel Razi, senior author, stressed that these findings underscore the importance of environment and activity for effective psychedelic therapy.
Why it matters
The research clarifies how psilocybin shapes brain activity, informing safe therapeutic use and challenging the view that psychedelics only cause neural chaos.
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