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",3,2,[22,91,161,237],{"id":23,"data":24,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":26,"introPage":35,"pages":42},"984e2edc-862b-43fe-b5c7-9b26a3a526d4",{"type":20,"title":25},"Understanding the Brain on Psychedelics",{"id":27,"data":28,"type":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"3def27e1-5091-42d1-849b-95efcc4068fc",{"type":19,"summary":29},[30,31,32,33],"Serotonin plays a key role in the psychedelic experience.","LSD binds to the 5-HT2A receptor more strongly than serotonin.","Psychedelics disrupt the Default Mode Network (DMN), altering self-perception.","Psychedelics may help treat depression by loosening rigid thinking patterns.",1,{"id":36,"data":37,"type":38,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"b5cf6d53-edf8-4cb5-9eec-78f9b4df954d",{"type":38,"intro":39},10,[40,41],"How do psychedelics interact with the 5-HT2A receptor?","What happens to the Default Mode Network under the influence of psychedelics?",[43,70],{"id":44,"data":45,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":48},"7d36450d-07f7-4c62-9f37-c285421b1ba1",{"type":34,"markdownContent":46,"audioMediaId":47},"When most people think of serotonin, they think of the brain's 'happy chemical', keeping our mood in check. Serotonin also appears to play a critical role in producing the psychedelic experience. Research into serotonin and LSD shares a close link.\n\nIn the 1950s, the realization that seemingly tiny doses of LSD were able to exert such dramatic effects was, in fact, a key influence in the advancement of the then-new field of neurochemistry, which led to the invention of SSRI antidepressants.\n\n![Graph](image://aff877d7-dc6a-4f97-9c54-4c5dc4c0f62f \"Serotonin is the 'happy chemical'. Image: Public domain via Pexels.\")\n\nPsychedelics’ effects are mainly driven by interactions at a specific serotonin receptor, known as the 5-HT2A receptor. Here, psychedelic molecules bind, unleashing a range of neurochemical processes that are still not fully understood. LSD’s potential to bind with the 5-HT2A receptor is even stronger than serotonin’s. And the fact that the receptor holds onto the LSD molecule by folding over it may explain the substance’s long and intense duration.","4e319c6d-990c-479e-bbc4-339e251d82a9",[49,61],{"id":50,"data":51,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"481380c1-c5f7-47a1-8b13-1b2bccb300d8",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":53,"multiChoiceCorrect":55,"multiChoiceIncorrect":57,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},11,[54],"Which family of drugs was developed due to observations made during LSD tests?",[56],"SSRI antidepressants",[58,59,60],"Tricyclic antidepressants","Benzodiazepines","SARI antidepressants",{"id":62,"data":63,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"8e0f53b1-beaf-4216-a893-153a5dd37371",{"type":52,"reviewType":20,"spacingBehaviour":34,"binaryQuestion":64,"binaryCorrect":66,"binaryIncorrect":68},[65],"How do most people describe the neurotransmitter serotonin?",[67],"The 'happy chemical'",[69],"The 'anxiety chemical'",{"id":71,"data":72,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":75},"a1f2da0b-1148-4336-88f8-3c08bb0527f5",{"type":34,"markdownContent":73,"audioMediaId":74},"Psychedelics are known to profoundly alter activity at the Default Mode Network, or DMN – a richly interconnected set of brain structures that play an executive role in cognition and are responsible for complex mental abilities, such as mind-wandering, introspection and our narrative sense of self.\n\n![Graph](image://fec309ba-3af3-4043-801b-63e3f1687c02 \"Activity in the default mode network. Image: John Graner, Neuroimaging Department, National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons\")\n\nThrough dysregulating activity in the DMN, psychedelics reduce their usual control, allowing new patterns to emerge. These DMN-related changes are thought to play an important role in producing radical shifts in self-conception. At the extreme are subjective reports of ego-dissolution, where people may experience losing their sense of self entirely.\n\nThe DMN has also been implicated in depression, where it may encode rigid thinking patterns and distorted self-perception. One way that psychedelics may work therapeutically is by loosening these entrenched negative patterns and allowing people to see and experience themselves in new and healthier ways.","beaa41f3-ad4c-4362-aa94-0a4863551997",[76,83],{"id":77,"data":78,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"141bb487-d315-407b-a2fa-63e924e4c780",{"type":52,"reviewType":34,"spacingBehaviour":34,"activeRecallQuestion":79,"activeRecallAnswers":81},[80],"What part of the brain is known as the DMN and plays an executive role in complex cognition?",[82],"The Default Mode Network",{"id":84,"data":85,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"ccbff10e-9e59-4e19-a197-1e9a7b9f8032",{"type":52,"reviewType":34,"spacingBehaviour":34,"activeRecallQuestion":86,"activeRecallAnswers":88},[87],"How might psychedelics' effect on the brain's Default Mode Network benefit those with depression?",[89,90],"By loosening entrenched negative patterns","Through encouraging them to see things in new ways",{"id":92,"data":93,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":95,"introPage":103,"pages":109},"ecfbeb99-52ce-4c8e-96d5-1098d39acf1f",{"type":20,"title":94},"Psychedelics and Creativity",{"id":96,"data":97,"type":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"84d94417-802f-4fef-a121-5497bf4b04d9",{"type":19,"summary":98},[99,100,101,102],"Psilocybin boosts spontaneous creativity but hinders task-based creativity","Psychedelics disrupt the Default Mode Network, leading to new insights","Brain activity becomes more flexible and disordered under psychedelics","Psilocybin creates new neural connections, sparking fresh ideas",{"id":104,"data":105,"type":38,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"1576d0b7-6131-4b6a-9622-1006077ad1e6",{"type":38,"intro":106},[107,108],"How do psychedelics affect spontaneous creativity?","What role does the Default Mode Network play in creativity under psychedelics?",[110,125,130,144],{"id":111,"data":112,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":115},"4eb5a8e6-8251-4671-bbee-19147c8837a3",{"type":34,"markdownContent":113,"audioMediaId":114},"Many famous artists and thinkers have credited psychedelics for provoking creative insights. But do psychedelics really improve creativity?\n\nWell, yes and no. Research has found that a dose of psilocybin improves experiences of spontaneous creativity, such as having new insights and original thoughts, but decreases performance in deliberate creativity, where people try to generate and find creative solutions regarding a specific task.\n\n![Graph](image://79d8c93b-8147-4d93-8a3c-a26f63204559 \"Spontaneous creativity is improved by psychedelics. Image: Public domain via Pexels.\")","ab6831f2-2ea8-4fe8-8189-289cf007cd83",[116],{"id":117,"data":118,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"091d553e-2a03-4ada-bd71-6f446a167672",{"type":52,"reviewType":20,"spacingBehaviour":34,"binaryQuestion":119,"binaryCorrect":121,"binaryIncorrect":123},[120],"Which of these is shown to be improved in people under the influence of psilocybin?",[122],"Spontaneous creativity",[124],"Deliberate creativity",{"id":126,"data":127,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20},"484f0ac7-39a2-4771-b7b4-809153c08ccc",{"type":34,"markdownContent":128,"audioMediaId":129},"These changes were found to be related to activity in a highly interconnected set of brain structures known as the Default Mode Network (DMN). Decreased functional connectivity between these areas led to an impairment in finding task-based solutions, but also to an increase in general spontaneous insights, as well as the long-term generation of novel ideas.\n\nThis suggests that psychedelics may play a nuanced role in creativity: good for brainstorming and new spontaneous ideas but bad for coming up with specific solutions related to a task at hand.","113b38d6-caa3-4364-b153-9862f6bd8c2e",{"id":131,"data":132,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":135},"d04aa201-e7f9-4334-8355-0a2d047dc6b0",{"type":34,"markdownContent":133,"audioMediaId":134},"Over the course of our lives, our brain develops predictable patterns of activity by drawing on learned cognitive strategies to meet our everyday needs. While this saves time and energy, it also means that we can become overly reliant on previously established thoughts and behaviors – some of which may no longer be serving us.\n\nPsychedelics are thought to temporarily disrupt these ingrained patterns of neural activity, bringing the brain into an unpredictable ‘high entropy’ state characterized by potentially beneficial disorder and flexibility.","d623d533-47a1-458e-a19a-af5278194707",[136],{"id":137,"data":138,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"7707a578-71fc-4ff4-9f10-e1eafff0ec69",{"type":52,"reviewType":139,"spacingBehaviour":34,"clozeQuestion":140,"clozeWords":142},4,[141],"Psychedelics puts the brain into a temporary state of 'high entropy'",[143],"high entropy",{"id":145,"data":146,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":149},"08675a0d-78ed-44a5-958b-d9bb769849ca",{"type":34,"markdownContent":147,"audioMediaId":148},"The figure below illustrates different functional patterns of brain activity under placebo or LSD.  New connections are made, allowing different parts of the brain to communicate with one another.\n\n![Graph](image://64f58cda-84e7-4079-9c8e-7e59b055d962 \"Placebo vs. LSD. Image: Imperial/Beckley Foundation\")\n\nThis disorganization of brain activity and increased neural ‘crosstalk’ provide a fertile ground for new insights, different perspectives, and altered experiences.","1d198334-7d08-439a-940a-e2a1c9f26ec1",[150],{"id":151,"data":152,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"805c3b79-b780-4b6e-afa3-ce8d2e35ab45",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":153,"multiChoiceCorrect":155,"multiChoiceIncorrect":157,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[154],"What does psilocybin do to the brain that offers a fertile ground for unexpected insights?",[156],"Increases neural 'crosstalk'",[158,159,160],"Floods the brain with serotonin","Acts as a stimulant","Stimulates the Default Mode Network",{"id":162,"data":163,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":165,"introPage":173,"pages":179},"68a68016-3c08-4259-8593-05302768ff95",{"type":20,"title":164},"Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity",{"id":166,"data":167,"type":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"abd5b3a4-f41c-4414-ae4e-92b60150debc",{"type":19,"summary":168},[169,170,171,172],"Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to events.","Psychedelics can trigger rapid changes in neuroplasticity, like new neuron growth.","Psilocybin reduces the emotional impact of negative stimuli and boosts mood.","Psilocybin lowers amygdala activity when viewing negative stimuli, with effects lasting a week.",{"id":174,"data":175,"type":38,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"038214ef-d8a5-493a-94c0-1a007aae1fbe",{"type":38,"intro":176},[177,178],"How do psychedelics trigger neuroplasticity?","What effect does psilocybin have on the amygdala?",[180,204,209],{"id":181,"data":182,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":185},"d9549c5f-f310-47a2-9c90-34ea2b328e3b",{"type":34,"markdownContent":183,"audioMediaId":184},"For many years, neuroscientists thought that the brain could only grow and change during childhood. Once you hit adulthood, what you have is what you get. Since then, we have discovered that this is not entirely true: the brain can change, albeit in a limited way.\n\nIn neuroscience, this capacity of neuronal change is called neuroplasticity – the ability of neurons to change their structure and function in response to a triggered event.\n\n![Graph](image://13899eef-d132-4ede-a574-6f2e6364a726 \"Neuroplasticity is determined by your brain's ability to form new connections. Image: Public domain via Pixabay\")","a64267b6-f5a7-4ef0-a53e-f0272246256e",[186,197],{"id":187,"data":188,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"f47fa1cf-dca6-4f44-8e6e-ae79a260099c",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":189,"multiChoiceCorrect":191,"multiChoiceIncorrect":193,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[190],"What does neuroplasticity mean?",[192],"The ability of our neurons to change",[194,195,196],"The strength of our neural connections","The amount of neurons in our brain","The size of the individual neurons in our brain",{"id":198,"data":199,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"8197d9f6-a211-4500-a7ec-840fc87c2e17",{"type":52,"reviewType":34,"spacingBehaviour":34,"activeRecallQuestion":200,"activeRecallAnswers":202},[201],"The brain's ability to change is known as ...",[203],"Neuroplasticity",{"id":205,"data":206,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20},"e214204c-d62f-42e4-b83f-37dee74611cc",{"type":34,"markdownContent":207,"audioMediaId":208},"Taking psychedelics represents one such trigger for the brain, as studies have found that even a single dose can produce rapid changes in neuroplasticity, such as affecting how and when neurons fire and causing the growth of new neurons. Questions remain regarding how much these neuroplastic mechanisms can explain the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Are they responsible for psychedelics’ healing potential, or are there other processes at play?\n\n'I don't even know what got into my emotions, but I felt so good, and the crying just made me feel even better', Snoop Dogg recalls of his psilocybin mushroom experience.","177a5f92-b4e5-4239-a4df-def6954fc1bd",{"id":210,"data":211,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":214},"0df73010-4696-4857-99c3-dc5bcb2c0183",{"type":34,"markdownContent":212,"audioMediaId":213},"A psychedelic trip can take you through a range of emotions, and people often report that it helps them deal with adverse life experiences. This is backed up by research suggesting that psilocybin reduces the emotional processing of negative stimuli and increases overall positive mood.\n\n![Graph](image://cd23c812-35bb-45df-bbbb-73e21b500704 \"Your amygdala, which processes negative emotional stimuli. Image: http://www.memorylossonline.com/glossary/amygdala.html, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons\")\n\nThese changes appear to be related to psychedelics’ effect on the amygdala – an ancient brain structure involved in processing fear stimuli and memories. Under psilocybin, studies have found reduced amygdala activity when viewing negative stimuli. These changes are still present one week after taking psilocybin, suggesting positive results can continue long after the initial drug effects have worn off.","96d4f39e-1522-4790-a0fa-cc1eea2ca422",[215,226],{"id":216,"data":217,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"1568a045-7ee8-41c3-a94b-52f97f441dbd",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":218,"multiChoiceCorrect":220,"multiChoiceIncorrect":222,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[219],"Research suggests that psilocybin impacts the functioning of the amygdala, reducing the processing of what?",[221],"Negative emotions",[223,224,225],"Negative thoughts","Behavior","Visual stimuli",{"id":227,"data":228,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"f7606212-f303-4dda-a6c7-a145337e725d",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":229,"multiChoiceCorrect":231,"multiChoiceIncorrect":233,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[230],"How long has it been shown that reduced amygdala activity persists after a psilocybin trip?",[232],"One week",[234,235,236],"One day","One hour","One month",{"id":238,"data":239,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":241,"introPage":249,"pages":255},"ce0a1e5e-6149-425a-b0b0-82cd2cdbb076",{"type":20,"title":240},"Psychedelics, Perception, and Immunity",{"id":242,"data":243,"type":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"004a7f9d-4e57-41b2-808b-1d2afb8e6c09",{"type":19,"summary":244},[245,246,247,248],"Mescaline users often see geometric patterns like lattices, cobwebs, tunnels, and spirals","These patterns might reveal the column-like structure of the early visual cortex","Psychedelics can cause synesthesia, making you see colors when you hear sounds","Psychedelics might reduce chronic inflammation by modulating the immune response",{"id":250,"data":251,"type":38,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":34},"d1e02bb0-4e4c-4b48-8b58-3b006dff2034",{"type":38,"intro":252},[253,254],"What geometric patterns are commonly seen under the influence of mescaline?","How does synesthesia during a psychedelic trip typically manifest?",[256,278,312,329],{"id":257,"data":258,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":261},"61447c47-c064-4dea-9091-b1ea08da7bee",{"type":34,"markdownContent":259,"audioMediaId":260},"In 1926, Heinrich Klüver analyzed the subjective reports of hallucinations of subjects under the influence of mescaline. He found that they reported seeing geometric patterns, which could be grouped into four main sub-types: lattices, cobwebs, tunnels, and spirals.\n\nThe shared nature of such experiences suggests that they may be caused by a common mechanism. But how are they generated? One leading idea is that the mechanisms generating these geometric hallucinations are closely related to the physical structure of the early visual cortex – a part of the brain with a column-like structure that specializes in detecting lines and edges.","d2fce067-ef00-4bf1-96b4-30be5ff5eff5",[262,271],{"id":263,"data":264,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"cb150322-6260-4add-9742-4e2a93783b8d",{"type":52,"reviewType":20,"spacingBehaviour":34,"binaryQuestion":265,"binaryCorrect":267,"binaryIncorrect":269},[266],"Which of these was one of the geometric patterns seen by patients using mescaline, as identified by Heinrich Klüver?",[268],"Tunnels",[270],"Stars",{"id":272,"data":273,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"0d34d9af-326e-4276-9768-4b789373312a",{"type":52,"reviewType":139,"spacingBehaviour":34,"clozeQuestion":274,"clozeWords":276},[275],"In 1926, Heinrich Klüver analyzed self-reports of subjects given mescaline and identified four commonly encountered geometric patterns: lattices, cobwebs, tunnels and spirals",[277],"mescaline",{"id":279,"data":280,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":283},"965e21b3-1bb3-40c7-82f4-37d29105659e",{"type":34,"markdownContent":281,"audioMediaId":282},"When these columns are stimulated in a certain way, there is evidence that their symmetrical structure can lead to the kinds of geometric forms described by participants under the influence of mescaline. If this is right, then the geometric hallucinations we see under psychedelics may provide a glimpse into the architecture of our brains.\n\nHave you ever seen shapes while listening to music? Or do certain words have colors for you? If so, you may have synesthesia – a phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory modality leads to the stimulation of another. While some people experience it naturally, it is also a common effect during a psychedelic trip.","583675e7-ef96-4b7e-831b-ce34da10dc42",[284,293,304],{"id":285,"data":286,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"f30e8e3d-27b0-47f7-8af2-d63475b985d4",{"type":52,"reviewType":20,"spacingBehaviour":34,"binaryQuestion":287,"binaryCorrect":289,"binaryIncorrect":291},[288],"What might the geometric patterns experienced by subjects given mescaline offer insight into?",[290],"The architecture of the brain",[292],"Lost perceptual abilities",{"id":294,"data":295,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"87c87406-358a-4169-8f1b-67cfdab25cc8",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":296,"multiChoiceCorrect":298,"multiChoiceIncorrect":300,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[297],"What term is used for the blurring of different sensory experiences into one another?",[299],"Synesthesia",[301,302,303],"Kinesthesia","Omnesthesia","Misesthesia",{"id":305,"data":306,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"e98c9b93-f7cd-48e5-890f-b7dec595579d",{"type":52,"reviewType":34,"spacingBehaviour":34,"activeRecallQuestion":307,"activeRecallAnswers":309},[308],"What is synesthesia?",[310,311],"When stimulation of one sense leads to the stimulation of another","We may see sounds or hear colors",{"id":313,"data":314,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":317},"2a8154e8-22d0-40d7-a9f0-c63a86782ffc",{"type":34,"markdownContent":315,"audioMediaId":316},"Synesthesia comes in many forms, but under the influence of psychedelics, it mostly involves vision and hearing. For example, seeing colors while listening to someone talk. Other sensory combinations may be tasting colors, smelling sounds, or feeling scents.\n\n![Graph](image://147249f2-91a4-4bb5-a64b-55747d345bf3 \"Synesthesia might make someone see music as colours. Image: Public domain via Freepik\")\n\nThese experiences may be related to serotonin-driven changes in the excitability and connectedness of sensory brain regions. Put simply: neurons in these areas are more active and likely to communicate with one another. This hyper-activation can lead to increased crosstalk between the senses.\n\nDifferent brain regions communicate more openly, and neural activity in one sensory modality can more easily influence activity in another. This excitability is particularly strong in the visual cortex, which may explain why visual experiences are the most common.","59a111f4-5117-4eb1-8abd-9d0dcfe3d281",[318],{"id":319,"data":320,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"e794600e-76a5-4e3c-9bab-e80089da2370",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":321,"multiChoiceCorrect":323,"multiChoiceIncorrect":325,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[322],"The 'crosstalk' in the brain that results from synesthesia appears to be the result of changes to which brain chemical?",[324],"Serotonin",[326,327,328],"Dopamine","Oxytocin","Endorphins",{"id":330,"data":331,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":334},"2d9f1034-8ae9-420b-a84c-45c674f136be",{"type":34,"markdownContent":332,"audioMediaId":333},"One of psychedelics' lesser known effects is their ability to regulate the body’s defense system. Normally, when there is tissue damage, or an invading pathogen is detected, the body will generate an inflammatory response. Specialized immune cells are sent to the affected area, healing any damaged tissue and/or attacking the intruder.\n\nWhile this inflammation can help with recovery, it can become chronic when the body continues to generate the inflammatory response, incorrectly believing that there is still an injury or disease that needs to be fought. This can lead to long-term health problems, like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer.\n\nResearch suggests that psychedelics could act as anti-inflammatory agents by modulating the body’s immune response. This is because immune cells in the body also have serotonin receptors, thus responding to substances like psychedelics that can modulate serotonin activity in the brain and body.","61bd4d34-793c-495e-a374-25fc7487e175",[335],{"id":336,"data":337,"type":52,"version":34,"maxContentLevel":19},"87e6bfb4-46a5-44ee-923b-cfe7932b5304",{"type":52,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":34,"multiChoiceQuestion":338,"multiChoiceCorrect":340,"multiChoiceIncorrect":342,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[339],"What surprising effect do psychedelics have on the body's defense system?",[341],"Reducing inflammation",[343,344,345],"Reducing stomach acid","Helping with nausea","Improving skin health",[347,416,502,571],{"id":23,"data":24,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":26,"introPage":35,"pages":348},[349,386],{"id":44,"data":45,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":48,"parsed":350},{"data":351,"body":354,"toc":384},{"title":352,"description":353},"","When most people think of serotonin, they think of the brain's 'happy chemical', keeping our mood in check. Serotonin also appears to play a critical role in producing the psychedelic experience. Research into serotonin and LSD shares a close link.",{"type":355,"children":356},"root",[357,364,369,379],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":360,"children":361},"element","p",{},[362],{"type":363,"value":353},"text",{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":365,"children":366},{},[367],{"type":363,"value":368},"In the 1950s, the realization that seemingly tiny doses of LSD were able to exert such dramatic effects was, in fact, a key influence in the advancement of the then-new field of neurochemistry, which led to the invention of SSRI antidepressants.",{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":370,"children":371},{},[372],{"type":358,"tag":373,"props":374,"children":378},"img",{"alt":375,"src":376,"title":377},"Graph","image://aff877d7-dc6a-4f97-9c54-4c5dc4c0f62f","Serotonin is the 'happy chemical'. Image: Public domain via Pexels.",[],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":380,"children":381},{},[382],{"type":363,"value":383},"Psychedelics’ effects are mainly driven by interactions at a specific serotonin receptor, known as the 5-HT2A receptor. Here, psychedelic molecules bind, unleashing a range of neurochemical processes that are still not fully understood. LSD’s potential to bind with the 5-HT2A receptor is even stronger than serotonin’s. And the fact that the receptor holds onto the LSD molecule by folding over it may explain the substance’s long and intense duration.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":385},[],{"id":71,"data":72,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":75,"parsed":387},{"data":388,"body":390,"toc":414},{"title":352,"description":389},"Psychedelics are known to profoundly alter activity at the Default Mode Network, or DMN – a richly interconnected set of brain structures that play an executive role in cognition and are responsible for complex mental abilities, such as mind-wandering, introspection and our narrative sense of self.",{"type":355,"children":391},[392,396,404,409],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":393,"children":394},{},[395],{"type":363,"value":389},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":397,"children":398},{},[399],{"type":358,"tag":373,"props":400,"children":403},{"alt":375,"src":401,"title":402},"image://fec309ba-3af3-4043-801b-63e3f1687c02","Activity in the default mode network. Image: John Graner, Neuroimaging Department, National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons",[],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":405,"children":406},{},[407],{"type":363,"value":408},"Through dysregulating activity in the DMN, psychedelics reduce their usual control, allowing new patterns to emerge. These DMN-related changes are thought to play an important role in producing radical shifts in self-conception. At the extreme are subjective reports of ego-dissolution, where people may experience losing their sense of self entirely.",{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":410,"children":411},{},[412],{"type":363,"value":413},"The DMN has also been implicated in depression, where it may encode rigid thinking patterns and distorted self-perception. One way that psychedelics may work therapeutically is by loosening these entrenched negative patterns and allowing people to see and experience themselves in new and healthier ways.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":415},[],{"id":92,"data":93,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":95,"introPage":103,"pages":417},[418,443,460,477],{"id":111,"data":112,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":115,"parsed":419},{"data":420,"body":422,"toc":441},{"title":352,"description":421},"Many famous artists and thinkers have credited psychedelics for provoking creative insights. But do psychedelics really improve creativity?",{"type":355,"children":423},[424,428,433],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":425,"children":426},{},[427],{"type":363,"value":421},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":429,"children":430},{},[431],{"type":363,"value":432},"Well, yes and no. Research has found that a dose of psilocybin improves experiences of spontaneous creativity, such as having new insights and original thoughts, but decreases performance in deliberate creativity, where people try to generate and find creative solutions regarding a specific task.",{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":434,"children":435},{},[436],{"type":358,"tag":373,"props":437,"children":440},{"alt":375,"src":438,"title":439},"image://79d8c93b-8147-4d93-8a3c-a26f63204559","Spontaneous creativity is improved by psychedelics. Image: Public domain via Pexels.",[],{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":442},[],{"id":126,"data":127,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"parsed":444},{"data":445,"body":447,"toc":458},{"title":352,"description":446},"These changes were found to be related to activity in a highly interconnected set of brain structures known as the Default Mode Network (DMN). Decreased functional connectivity between these areas led to an impairment in finding task-based solutions, but also to an increase in general spontaneous insights, as well as the long-term generation of novel ideas.",{"type":355,"children":448},[449,453],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":450,"children":451},{},[452],{"type":363,"value":446},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":454,"children":455},{},[456],{"type":363,"value":457},"This suggests that psychedelics may play a nuanced role in creativity: good for brainstorming and new spontaneous ideas but bad for coming up with specific solutions related to a task at hand.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":459},[],{"id":131,"data":132,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":135,"parsed":461},{"data":462,"body":464,"toc":475},{"title":352,"description":463},"Over the course of our lives, our brain develops predictable patterns of activity by drawing on learned cognitive strategies to meet our everyday needs. While this saves time and energy, it also means that we can become overly reliant on previously established thoughts and behaviors – some of which may no longer be serving us.",{"type":355,"children":465},[466,470],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":467,"children":468},{},[469],{"type":363,"value":463},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":471,"children":472},{},[473],{"type":363,"value":474},"Psychedelics are thought to temporarily disrupt these ingrained patterns of neural activity, bringing the brain into an unpredictable ‘high entropy’ state characterized by potentially beneficial disorder and flexibility.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":476},[],{"id":145,"data":146,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":149,"parsed":478},{"data":479,"body":481,"toc":500},{"title":352,"description":480},"The figure below illustrates different functional patterns of brain activity under placebo or LSD.  New connections are made, allowing different parts of the brain to communicate with one another.",{"type":355,"children":482},[483,487,495],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":484,"children":485},{},[486],{"type":363,"value":480},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":488,"children":489},{},[490],{"type":358,"tag":373,"props":491,"children":494},{"alt":375,"src":492,"title":493},"image://64f58cda-84e7-4079-9c8e-7e59b055d962","Placebo vs. LSD. Image: Imperial/Beckley Foundation",[],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":496,"children":497},{},[498],{"type":363,"value":499},"This disorganization of brain activity and increased neural ‘crosstalk’ provide a fertile ground for new insights, different perspectives, and altered experiences.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":501},[],{"id":162,"data":163,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":165,"introPage":173,"pages":503},[504,529,546],{"id":181,"data":182,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":185,"parsed":505},{"data":506,"body":508,"toc":527},{"title":352,"description":507},"For many years, neuroscientists thought that the brain could only grow and change during childhood. Once you hit adulthood, what you have is what you get. Since then, we have discovered that this is not entirely true: the brain can change, albeit in a limited way.",{"type":355,"children":509},[510,514,519],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":511,"children":512},{},[513],{"type":363,"value":507},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":515,"children":516},{},[517],{"type":363,"value":518},"In neuroscience, this capacity of neuronal change is called neuroplasticity – the ability of neurons to change their structure and function in response to a triggered event.",{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":520,"children":521},{},[522],{"type":358,"tag":373,"props":523,"children":526},{"alt":375,"src":524,"title":525},"image://13899eef-d132-4ede-a574-6f2e6364a726","Neuroplasticity is determined by your brain's ability to form new connections. Image: Public domain via Pixabay",[],{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":528},[],{"id":205,"data":206,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"parsed":530},{"data":531,"body":533,"toc":544},{"title":352,"description":532},"Taking psychedelics represents one such trigger for the brain, as studies have found that even a single dose can produce rapid changes in neuroplasticity, such as affecting how and when neurons fire and causing the growth of new neurons. Questions remain regarding how much these neuroplastic mechanisms can explain the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Are they responsible for psychedelics’ healing potential, or are there other processes at play?",{"type":355,"children":534},[535,539],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":536,"children":537},{},[538],{"type":363,"value":532},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":540,"children":541},{},[542],{"type":363,"value":543},"'I don't even know what got into my emotions, but I felt so good, and the crying just made me feel even better', Snoop Dogg recalls of his psilocybin mushroom experience.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":545},[],{"id":210,"data":211,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":214,"parsed":547},{"data":548,"body":550,"toc":569},{"title":352,"description":549},"A psychedelic trip can take you through a range of emotions, and people often report that it helps them deal with adverse life experiences. This is backed up by research suggesting that psilocybin reduces the emotional processing of negative stimuli and increases overall positive mood.",{"type":355,"children":551},[552,556,564],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":553,"children":554},{},[555],{"type":363,"value":549},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":557,"children":558},{},[559],{"type":358,"tag":373,"props":560,"children":563},{"alt":375,"src":561,"title":562},"image://cd23c812-35bb-45df-bbbb-73e21b500704","Your amygdala, which processes negative emotional stimuli. Image: http://www.memorylossonline.com/glossary/amygdala.html, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons",[],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":565,"children":566},{},[567],{"type":363,"value":568},"These changes appear to be related to psychedelics’ effect on the amygdala – an ancient brain structure involved in processing fear stimuli and memories. Under psilocybin, studies have found reduced amygdala activity when viewing negative stimuli. These changes are still present one week after taking psilocybin, suggesting positive results can continue long after the initial drug effects have worn off.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":570},[],{"id":238,"data":239,"type":20,"version":20,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":241,"introPage":249,"pages":572},[573,590,607,637],{"id":257,"data":258,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":261,"parsed":574},{"data":575,"body":577,"toc":588},{"title":352,"description":576},"In 1926, Heinrich Klüver analyzed the subjective reports of hallucinations of subjects under the influence of mescaline. He found that they reported seeing geometric patterns, which could be grouped into four main sub-types: lattices, cobwebs, tunnels, and spirals.",{"type":355,"children":578},[579,583],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":580,"children":581},{},[582],{"type":363,"value":576},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":584,"children":585},{},[586],{"type":363,"value":587},"The shared nature of such experiences suggests that they may be caused by a common mechanism. But how are they generated? One leading idea is that the mechanisms generating these geometric hallucinations are closely related to the physical structure of the early visual cortex – a part of the brain with a column-like structure that specializes in detecting lines and edges.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":589},[],{"id":279,"data":280,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":283,"parsed":591},{"data":592,"body":594,"toc":605},{"title":352,"description":593},"When these columns are stimulated in a certain way, there is evidence that their symmetrical structure can lead to the kinds of geometric forms described by participants under the influence of mescaline. If this is right, then the geometric hallucinations we see under psychedelics may provide a glimpse into the architecture of our brains.",{"type":355,"children":595},[596,600],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":597,"children":598},{},[599],{"type":363,"value":593},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":601,"children":602},{},[603],{"type":363,"value":604},"Have you ever seen shapes while listening to music? Or do certain words have colors for you? If so, you may have synesthesia – a phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory modality leads to the stimulation of another. While some people experience it naturally, it is also a common effect during a psychedelic trip.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":606},[],{"id":313,"data":314,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":317,"parsed":608},{"data":609,"body":611,"toc":635},{"title":352,"description":610},"Synesthesia comes in many forms, but under the influence of psychedelics, it mostly involves vision and hearing. For example, seeing colors while listening to someone talk. Other sensory combinations may be tasting colors, smelling sounds, or feeling scents.",{"type":355,"children":612},[613,617,625,630],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":614,"children":615},{},[616],{"type":363,"value":610},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":618,"children":619},{},[620],{"type":358,"tag":373,"props":621,"children":624},{"alt":375,"src":622,"title":623},"image://147249f2-91a4-4bb5-a64b-55747d345bf3","Synesthesia might make someone see music as colours. Image: Public domain via Freepik",[],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":626,"children":627},{},[628],{"type":363,"value":629},"These experiences may be related to serotonin-driven changes in the excitability and connectedness of sensory brain regions. Put simply: neurons in these areas are more active and likely to communicate with one another. This hyper-activation can lead to increased crosstalk between the senses.",{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":631,"children":632},{},[633],{"type":363,"value":634},"Different brain regions communicate more openly, and neural activity in one sensory modality can more easily influence activity in another. This excitability is particularly strong in the visual cortex, which may explain why visual experiences are the most common.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":636},[],{"id":330,"data":331,"type":34,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":20,"reviews":334,"parsed":638},{"data":639,"body":641,"toc":657},{"title":352,"description":640},"One of psychedelics' lesser known effects is their ability to regulate the body’s defense system. Normally, when there is tissue damage, or an invading pathogen is detected, the body will generate an inflammatory response. Specialized immune cells are sent to the affected area, healing any damaged tissue and/or attacking the intruder.",{"type":355,"children":642},[643,647,652],{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":644,"children":645},{},[646],{"type":363,"value":640},{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":648,"children":649},{},[650],{"type":363,"value":651},"While this inflammation can help with recovery, it can become chronic when the body continues to generate the inflammatory response, incorrectly believing that there is still an injury or disease that needs to be fought. This can lead to long-term health problems, like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer.",{"type":358,"tag":359,"props":653,"children":654},{},[655],{"type":363,"value":656},"Research suggests that psychedelics could act as anti-inflammatory agents by modulating the body’s immune response. This is because immune cells in the body also have serotonin receptors, thus responding to substances like psychedelics that can modulate serotonin activity in the brain and body.",{"title":352,"searchDepth":20,"depth":20,"links":658},[],{"left":4,"top":4,"width":660,"height":660,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":661},24,"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m9 18l6-6l-6-6\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":660,"height":660,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":663},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M4 5h16M4 12h16M4 19h16\"/>",1778179412117]