Nature study finds psilocybin’s brain effects are more than random chaos
The findings challenge a simple chaos model and could reshape how researchers explain the insights and lasting changes some people report after psilocybin.
A new Nature study led by Monash University’s Devon Stoliker tested the idea that psilocybin simply throws brain activity into chaos, and found the result was more nuanced than that. The team scanned 62 people who had never used a psychedelic before after giving them 19 milligrams of psilocybin, then compared the drugged and sober scans with AI analysis. Stoliker says the long-standing chaos model does not explain why people can come away from a psychedelic experience with insight, clarity, and lasting psychological change. The work is part of a study the researchers call PsiConnect.
Why it matters
For people studying psychedelics, the result narrows the gap between what brain scans show and what users report. It suggests psilocybin’s effects may be organized in a way that helps explain insight, clarity and lasting psychological change, rather than being treated as mere noise.
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Sources
- Ars Technica