Should I take psychedelics?

Our read is that psychedelics, especially psilocybin, show promise for treating conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction by facilitating neuroplasticity and offering opportunities for memory updating.

However, our experts emphasize that these substances are most efficacious and safer when administered within medical models, with significant caution advised for individuals with certain mental health predispositions or when used in uncontrolled environments.

The data supporting microdosing is not robust, and macrodose sessions appear more impactful for depressive symptoms.

Psilocybin sessions typically involve at least 8 hours of preparation and administration in a controlled environment with sensory aids, often including music that progresses from low-volume instrumental classical to intense percussive, then softer melodic music with nature sounds. Doses have been dissolved in orange juice and lemon juice to alter conversion to psilocin and reduce sugar/calorie disruption.

• 01Andrew Huberman claimed that psychedelics can change the mental context when memories are retrieved, offering an opportunity for memory updating.
• 02Rhonda Patrick claimed that psilocybin treatment combined with psychotherapy produced similar results to SSRI antidepressant treatments in a study from Imperial College London.
• 03Andrew Huberman claimed that patients who have undergone TMS or psychedelic treatment report a lasting reduction in suicidal ideation even after relapse.
• 04Andrew Huberman claimed that psilocybin may be an intervention for treatment-resistant depression.
• 05Rhonda Patrick claimed that early studies in the 1950s and 60s suggested LSD and psilocybin analogs might treat anxiety and depression in cancer patients.
• 06Rhonda Patrick claimed that core features of mystical-type experiences induced by psilocybin include unity, sacredness, humility, authenticity, positive moods, transcendence of time and space, and ineffability (3x).
• 07Andrew Huberman claimed that psychedelics are more efficacious and safer when administered within medical models (3x).
• 08Andrew Huberman claimed that the structure of a psilocybin journey influences its neuroplasticity effects (2x).
• 09Peter Attia claimed that psychedelics may help addiction by disrupting overlearned habit circuits (2x).
• 10Bryan Johnson and Rhonda Patrick claimed that psychedelics like psilocybin may act as anti-inflammatory agents through activation of the serotonin 5HT2A receptor (2x).
• 11Peter Attia and Rhonda Patrick claimed that ketamine may have antidepressant effects mediated by glutamate modulation (3x).
• 12Andrew Huberman claimed that psilocybin's antidepressant effects may involve neuroplasticity, strengthened neural connections, or neurogenesis.
• 13Peter Attia claimed that a single psilocybin trip had good outcomes for one to two months in a trial of 20 people with treatment-resistant depression.
• 14Andrew Huberman claimed that psilocybin's selectivity for the serotonin 2A receptor differentiates its effect on serotonin transmission from SSRIs (2x).
• 15Andrew Huberman claimed that therapeutic effects of drugs like ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA may involve multiple neurobiological processes with different time courses (2x).
• 16Peter Attia claimed that psilocybin and escitalopram (Lexapro) treat depression through different mechanisms (3x).
• 17Andrew Huberman and Bryan Johnson claimed that classical psychedelics primarily act on the serotonin 2a receptor, while ketamine acts on the NMDA receptor (3x).
• 18Andrew Huberman claimed that a therapeutic goal of psychedelics is to expand a restricted perceptual bubble, with safety protocols allowing exploration without undue worry.
• 19Andrew Huberman claimed that donating to foundations like Rivertsticks Foundation, Beckley Foundation, or Cay Foundation supports early-stage psychedelic science.
• 20Andrew Huberman claimed that proponents of psychedelics for PTSD treatment in veterans include individuals from diverse political backgrounds.
• 21David Sinclair claimed that Christian Angermayer has personally invested over $100 million into AtaiBeckley and Compass Pathways due to limited early-stage investor interest.

Our experts warn that individuals can experience severe harm or death from psychedelics due to freak-outs, accidents, or disorientation. Rhonda Patrick noted that psilocybin use can lead to death when dose is unknown, support is lacking, or environment is uncontrolled. Andrew Huberman and Rhonda Patrick emphasized that individuals with a predisposition to or history of psychosis or bipolar disorder, or who have a relative with these conditions, should be very cautious with psilocybin (12x). Andrew Huberman also advised caution for younger individuals and those without a trained physician. Bryan Johnson noted that the term 'heroic dose' for psilocybin is misleading because potency can vary significantly between strains and batches. Peter Attia stated that psychedelics act as lubricants for difficult work done off the substance, and are not therapeutic on their own (2x). Andrew Huberman warned that using drugs like MDMA or psilocybin to treat addiction may paradoxically increase addiction by causing a 'dopamine feast.' Some individuals using MDMA or psilocybin outside of clinical trials have experienced adverse effects such as chronic visual snow, new-onset tics, and chronic insomnia. Andrew Huberman also noted that intense focus on mundane tasks during a psychedelic experience can be disorienting. Andrew Huberman claimed that the data supporting micro-dosing psilocybin is not robust. Andrew Huberman claimed that studies on microdosing psilocybin have found no effect or slight impairment in time estimation and production tasks (2x). Andrew Huberman claimed that microdosing psilocybin is less impactful for treating depressive symptoms compared to macrodose sessions. Andrew Huberman claimed that microdosing psilocybin can cause off-target effects by affecting multiple brain circuits. Andrew Huberman claimed that psychedelics are contraindicated for individuals with a family history of schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, chronic depression, OCD, or anorexia nervosa (2x). Andrew Huberman claimed that intense psychedelic experiences can include sensations of dying or extreme cardiovascular events like a racing heart (4x).

Andrew Huberman claimed that continuous microdosing of psychedelics may have negative impacts, and more research is needed. Andrew Huberman claimed that MDMA and psilocybin can increase neuroplasticity, but their efficacy for eating disorders, depression, and trauma requires further data from ongoing clinical trials. Bryan Johnson claimed that the outcome of taking 5g of psilocybin is uncertain and depends on factors like genetic predisposition, environment, and mental state.