What Makes a Psychedelic Experience? Not Always a Drug, It Turns Out

image via New Scientist

July 3, 2024, 11:30 AM

Psychedelic drugs have been shown to have therapeutic potential for treating a variety of mental health conditions. But how do they work? And are they really necessary to induce a psychedelic experience? Stanford anesthesiologist Boris Heifets is exploring these questions in his laboratory. Heifets believes that the effects of psychedelics may be more than just a simple biochemical response to a drug activating the brain's serotonin receptors. He thinks that the experience itself, and the expectations and mindset of the person taking the drug, also play a significant role. Heifets recently talked with Scientific American about his years-long quest to define the essence of the psychedelic experience.

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