brain that is associated with the ego-modifying effects and feelings of unlimited connectivity. These findings shed light on the mystical experiences that individuals often describe during psychedelic use and have implications for the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in treating mental health conditions like depression.
The effects of the brain are related to changing the ego and feelings of vastness like the ocean. These new discoveries are featured in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, a publication by Elsevier. They help to understand the mystical experiences that people report when using psychedelic drugs and are relevant to using these drugs to treat mental disorders like depression. The idea of oceanic boundlessness is about feeling connected, blissful, insightful, and having a spiritual experience, all of which are often linked to psychedelic experiences. This is one of the early findings about the brain and its connection to the effects of psychedelics.The latest imaging studies in psychedelic research have revealed a specific link between the intense, psychedelic experience and changes in overall brain connectivity. Previous research has indicated an increase in consistent global brain connectivity while under the influence of psychedelics. However, this new study shows that this heightened connectivity is not static, but rather dynamic and changes over time. The rate of transition in connectivity aligns with the feeling of limitless expansiveness, which is a key aspect of the psychedelic experience. The lead investigator, Johannes G. Ramaekers, PhD from the Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience in Maastricht, led this research.The researcher from John Hopkins University states that psilocybin has been extensively studied as a psychedelic drug because of its potential to help treat various disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety related to death, depression, treatment-resistant depression, major depressive disorder, anxiety associated with terminal cancer, demoralization, smoking, and alcohol and tobacco addiction. However, what has not been fully understood is the brain activity that is linked to these intense experiences. Psilocybin causes significant changes in both the brain and the individual’s experience. The brain tends to enter a hyperconnected and hyperarousal pattern.Psilocybin has the potential to create different mental perspectives. A new study has shown that it affects brain dynamics and subjective experience, giving us a better understanding of the neurophysiology and experiential qualities of the psychedelic state. Dr. Ramaekers explains that psilocybin changes brain function to make it more connected, fluid, and less modular. The study used previously collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.The study involved two different groups of people, with one group of 22 individuals receiving a single dose of psilocybin, and the other group of 27 participants receiving a placebo. Those who received psilocybin reported significant changes in their experiences during the peak effects of the drug, compared to those who received the placebo. Additionally, analysis of brain connectivity revealed a pattern of global region-to-region connectivity that was consistently present throughout the duration of the psilocybin group’s experience, potentially explaining the diverse mental associations reported by the participants.
Furthermore, this heightened connectivity pattern was associated with a sense of expansiveness and unity, akin to a feeling of being connected to the ocean.The connection between brain dynamics and subjective experience points towards “egotropic effects” rather than hallucinogenic effects of the drug, according to a study on psychedelic drugs like psilocybin. PhD candidate and co-author Larry Fort from the University of Liège highlights that while these drugs are often referred to as hallucinogens, the study found that the ego-modifying experiences correlated more strongly with the drug’s hyperconnected pattern than hallucinatory experiences.The study led to the creation of the term ‘egotropic’ to highlight the impact of these ego-altering effects, which may be more significant than their hallucinogenic effects.” Editor-in-Chief of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging Cameron S. Carter, MD, University of California Irvine, says, ”This research utilizes easily obtainable resting state fMRI images taken after psilocybin ingestion to offer new insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie the subjective and clinical effects of the drug. It paves the way for future studies using other psychedelic substances to investigate whether the dynamic connections.The effects of psychedelics show a common mechanism for their therapeutic effects, according to the study. Lead researcher Athena Demertzi, PhD, from the University of Liège, stated that they were surprised to find that the hyperconnected brain regions also had lower global signal amplitude, which is a sign of increased cortical arousal. This is the first time such an approximation of arousal levels using fMRI has been tried in psychedelic research, which could be an important correlation as we continue to explore different brain states.The researcher discussed the potential therapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs, particularly psilocybin, and the connection between subjective experiences and positive clinical outcomes. The study highlights the importance of understanding the impact of ego-dissolution and hallucinations on the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. The findings suggest that the interplay between egotropic effects and hyperconnected brain patterns can inform healthcare professionals on how to focus on specific aspects of phenomenology, such as ego-dissolution, to optimize clinical outcomes. This research may provide valuable insights for the development of effective therapeutic strategies involving psychedelic drugs.The researchers found that psychedelic therapy sessions were linked to the best clinical outcomes.
