The Psychedelic Gold Rush: How Corporations Are Co-Opting Counterculture for Profit
Posted: 5/28/2025As Big Pharma cashes in on psychedelics, can we avoid selling out the soul of the counterculture?
Science, Spirit, and Structure: Building a Psychedelic Research Hub in Brazil’s Public University System
Posted: 5/28/2025Fernanda Palhano's research group in Brazil explores the therapeutic potential of psychedelics like ayahuasca and DMT through interdisciplinary collaboration. Despite regulatory, funding, and institutional challenges, they’ve built innovative clinical trials, training programs, and a research center—committed to ethical, inclusive, and accessible mental health care grounded in science and traditional knowledge. The post Science, Spirit, and Structure: Building a Psychedelic Research Hub in Brazil’s Public University System appeared first on Chacruna.
Only a specific dose of psilocybin induces lasting antidepressant-like effects, study suggests
Posted: 5/27/2025A recent study found that a single moderate dose of psilocybin produced lasting antidepressant-like effects in rats, while higher doses led to unwanted side effects. The findings highlight the importance of optimal dosing.
Meet Chacruna at Psychedelic Science 2025
Posted: 5/27/2025At this year’s Psychedelic Science 2025 conference, Chacruna Institute is proud to offer various activities and spaces for the public to participate in. The post Meet Chacruna at Psychedelic Science 2025 appeared first on Chacruna.
Oregon’s Shroom Boom: Healing or Hype?
Posted: 5/25/2025Oregon leads the US in legal psilocybin therapy, but soaring costs and equity gaps spark debate. Explore the highs and lows of the shroom boom.
Psilocybin and escitalopram produce antidepressant effects via distinct brain mechanisms, study suggests
Posted: 5/25/2025A new study using brain scans found that psilocybin and escitalopram reduce depression symptoms through different neural mechanisms. While escitalopram dampened emotional brain activity, psilocybin preserved or slightly increased it, suggesting distinct pathways to recovery.
An Arab Nation’s Psychedelic Awakening
Posted: 5/21/2025The UAE is leading a cultural and scientific shift in the Middle East by exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, merging innovation with tradition to reshape mental health care and global perceptions. The post An Arab Nation’s Psychedelic Awakening appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
The Queer Potential of Psychedelics: Assessing Queer Representation in the Academic Literature of Psychedelic Studies
Posted: 5/21/2025The intersection of queerness and psychedelics remains underexplored in academic research, despite psychedelics' potential for queer identity development and healing. A recent scoping review highlights gaps in representation, calls for intersectional, non-pathologizing approaches, and emphasizes the importance of centering queer experiences to enrich psychedelic research, therapy, and human flourishing overall. The post The Queer Potential of Psychedelics: Assessing Queer Representation in the Academic Literature of Psychedelic Studies appeared first on Chacruna.
High Moon Records Releases Just Like Gold: Live At The Matrix by The Final Solution
Posted: 5/18/2025Discover Just Like Gold: Live At The Matrix, the first official release from 1960s San Francisco band The Final Solution, featuring rare live recordings and archival material from High Moon Records. The post High Moon Records Releases Just Like Gold: Live At The Matrix by The Final Solution appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
Psychedelics and Attachment: Fundamentals, Implications, and New Frontiers
Posted: 5/16/2025Join us for this dialogue that delves into the exciting intersections between psychedelics and attachment theory. The post Psychedelics and Attachment: Fundamentals, Implications, and New Frontiers appeared first on Chacruna.
Psychedelics May Shift Brain Power to the Right Hemisphere
Posted: 5/16/2025A new theory suggests that psychedelics promote empathy, insight, and psychological flexibility by making the brain’s right hemisphere temporarily dominant over the left. Known as HEALS—Hemispheric Annealing and Lateralization Under Psychedelics—this model proposes that psychedelics disrupt the typical hierarchy between hemispheres, releasing the more holistic, emotionally intelligent right side from left-brain control.
Psychedelic experiences linked to long-term improvements in psychological flexibility, study finds
Posted: 5/15/2025Finally evidence shows that psychedelics do improve brain function. And, frequency of consumption is part of the ‘how’. A recent study highlighted by PsyPost further illuminates these benefits, particularly linking psychedelic experiences to long-term improvements in psychological flexibility, a concept we’ll explore here. This is where microdosing psychedelics has the most positive impact, even though... Continue Reading → The post Psychedelic experiences linked to long-term improvements in psychological flexibility, study finds appeared first on Psychedelic Integration.
Choosing Your Guide
Posted: 5/15/2025Choosing the right 5-MeO-DMT facilitator is critical for a safe and transformative journey. This article explores why trauma-informed care, proper training, and ethical guidance are essential when navigating this powerful psychedelic experience. The post Choosing Your Guide appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders Release New Album Synchronous Orbit
Posted: 5/12/2025Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders return with Synchronous Orbit, a genre-blurring psych journey blending studio precision and live improvisation. Featuring contributions from Kate Wright and Isaiah Collier, the album offers a rich, cosmic trip across time and space. The post Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders Release New Album Synchronous Orbit appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
A single dose of psilocybin might help reduce symptoms in treatment-resistant depression
Posted: 5/12/2025A new open-label study suggests that a single dose of psilocybin, combined with psychological support, may reduce symptoms in people with severe treatment-resistant depression. Improvements were sustained for up to 12 weeks, although effects were weaker in those with PTSD.
Psilocybin use has surged in the United States since 2019
Posted: 5/10/2025Psilocybin use has surged across the U.S. in recent years, with the biggest increases seen among adults with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.
Vinyl Relics: Underground by The Electric Prunes
Posted: 5/10/2025Discover the story behind Underground by The Electric Prunes—from a chance garage jam that led to a major record deal to the creation of a cult-classic psychedelic rock album. The post Vinyl Relics: Underground by The Electric Prunes appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
Rethinking Power, Plants, and the Future of Psychedelic Culture
Posted: 5/9/2025In Bia Labate's opening remarks for Psychedelic Culture 2025, she highlighted how the conference centers dialogue on equity, Indigenous rights, cultural preservation, and ethical use of sacred plants. The conference program challenged medicalization, commodification, and exclusion, calling for inclusive, reciprocal frameworks. Chacruna continues to advocate for decolonization, community-based practices, and a collective psychedelic future grounded in justice, accountability, and environmental and social integrity. The post Rethinking Power, Plants, and the Future of Psychedelic Culture appeared first on Chacruna.
A dose of psilocybin stirred the brain of a barely conscious woman
Posted: 5/7/2025In a groundbreaking case report, scientists administered psilocybin to a woman in a minimally conscious state and observed increased brain complexity and new spontaneous behavior—offering a glimpse into how psychedelics might influence consciousness in severe brain injury patients.
Psychedelics Rewire Brain-Immune Circuits
Posted: 5/7/2025New research reveals that psychedelics like psilocybin do more than alter brain activity — they reshape how the brain and immune system communicate. Scientists identified a pathway where chronic stress disrupts amygdala signaling, triggering immune responses that increase fear and anxiety.
Acid Lore: Mickey Mouse LSD
Posted: 5/6/2025The Mickey Mouse LSD myth warned parents of acid-laced tattoos given to kids—an urban legend born in the 1980s that combined drug panic, misinformation, and cartoon imagery. The post Acid Lore: Mickey Mouse LSD appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
The Psychedelic Press: Navigating Censorship, Ethics, and the Market
Posted: 5/6/2025Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 from 12:00-1:30pm PT Register for this event here. Deborah Parrish Snyder, co-owner, publisher of Synergetic Press (www.synergeticpress.com), has published over 40 books in global ecology, regenerative ag, […] The post The Psychedelic Press: Navigating Censorship, Ethics, and the Market appeared first on Chacruna.
Psychotropic Cinema: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Posted: 5/3/2025Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas captures Hunter S. Thompson’s psychedelic chaos and sharp critique of the American Dream in a wild, unforgettable ride. The post Psychotropic Cinema: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
Psilocybin shows promise for improving mood, cognition, and motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease
Posted: 5/1/2025Psilocybin therapy produced surprising benefits in a small study of people with Parkinson’s disease. Beyond improving mood, the psychedelic treatment was linked to better motor function and cognitive performance.
The Mosaic of the Mind: Science, Story, and Psychedelic Inquiry
Posted: 4/28/2025A guided visualization by Tony Martin reveals a vast mosaic symbolizing psychedelic exploration—scientific, cultural, and ancestral. At UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics, diverse disciplines unite to uncover truths through research, storytelling, and community. The journey honors curiosity, healing, and shared responsibility in shaping a more inclusive, reflective approach to knowledge. The post The Mosaic of the Mind: Science, Story, and Psychedelic Inquiry appeared first on Chacruna.
Evolution Now by Technicolor Blood–Album Review
Posted: 4/28/2025Montreal’s Technicolor Blood unleash their debut LP Evolution Now, blending heavy, groove-laden riffs with soaring, psychedelic melodies in a bold fusion of sludge, stoner rock, and spacey experimentation. The post Evolution Now by Technicolor Blood–Album Review appeared first on Psychedelic Scene Magazine.
The Future of Sex and Psychedelics: An Agenda for Research
Posted: 4/24/2025In a recent article, Dubus and Dymock critique current research on psychedelics and sexuality for being overly individualistic and mechanistic, neglecting cultural, historical, and socio-political contexts. They advocate for intersectional, ethical, and interdisciplinary approaches that recognize systemic inequalities, power dynamics, and marginalized voices, urging more inclusive and socially aware research into psychedelic-influenced sexual well-being. The post The Future of Sex and Psychedelics: An Agenda for Research appeared first on Chacruna.