Weekly Highlights

This week brought an early clinical signal for ayahuasca-assisted grief therapy, a rare kratom safety case, and renewed debate over federal drug policy and oversight.

1. 01 Exploratory clinical trial finds ayahuasca combined with meaning reconstruction therapy may ease severe bereavement
2. 02 Kratom-Tee löst bei gesundem 22-Jährigen erstmals in Österreich einen akuten Herzstillstand aus
3. 03 MAPS opposes the DEA's attempt to place five lesser-known tryptamines into Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act
4. 04 Is HHS too cosy with the psychedelic industry, and is the public being misled about psychedelic risks?

This week brought a renewed federal scheduling push alongside clinical expansion into depression and borderline personality disorder. New animal data, safety guidance, and an investigation of a veteran psychedelic church also highlighted the field's unresolved evidence and risk questions.

1. 01 DEA renews effort to place five psychedelic tryptamines in Schedule I as FDA research progress draws criticism from advocates
2. 02 Draulio Araújo on the path from ayahuasca research to controlled DMT trials for treatment-resistant depression
3. 03 Psilocybin may help the brain recover from repeated concussion, but evidence remains limited to animal research
4. 04 A Phase 1 trial tests psilocybin for borderline personality disorder while keeping dialectical behavior therapy in place
5. 05 Clay Martin, psilocybin, and the Path of the Barbarian Spirit: A veteran’s violent pagan psychedelic church
6. 06 After an Ayahuasca Retreat: Research-Based Answers to Questions About Integration, Difficulties, Grounding, Community and Help

This week brought sharper views of how psychedelics alter brain organization, alongside an FDA account of its evolving development framework. Preclinical findings also opened questions about chemotherapy neuropathy and why some tryptamines produce weaker psychedelic responses.

1. 01 Davis, Farchione and colleagues present the FDA’s evolving framework for psychedelic drug development in NEJM
2. 02 2C-B verändert die funktionelle Organisation des Gehirns ähnlich wie Psilocybin, erzeugt aber ein teilweise eigenes Muster
3. 03 Study finds psychedelics and anesthetics produce mirror-image patterns of brain organization linked to conscious states
4. 04 Psilocybin may prevent chemotherapy nerve pain as LSD, MDMA and psychedelic therapies advance through research and regulation
5. 05 Studie zeigt: Starke Serotonintransporter-Hemmung kann psychedelische Reaktionen bestimmter Tryptamine abschwächen
6. 06 Psilocybin shows unusually strong anxiety results, yet drug developers largely pursue depression and PTSD instead
7. 07 The Case That Shook Céu do Mar: A Santo Daime leader’s acquittal exposes disputes over abuse, authority, and institutional reform

This week brought a sharper account of how psychedelic effects depend on context and emotion, alongside early findings in neuropathy and brain dynamics. Policy also moved, with federal planning guidance and a narrow new MDMA access pathway in New Zealand.

1. 01 Psilocybin richtet die zeitliche Dynamik neuronaler Netzwerke stärker am erlebten Kontext aus und verändert das Selbst- und Welterleben
2. 02 Federal report urges states to prepare for psychedelic therapy approvals as research examines THC placebos, ketamine seizures, and ibogaine
3. 03 New Zealand authorizes two psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA for PTSD through an individual doctor pathway, without approving MDMA as a medicine
4. 04 Study in Mice Finds Psilocybin May Prevent Chemotherapy-Related Nerve Damage by Preserving Mitochondrial Transport
5. 05 Positive emotional states, not mystical experiences, may explain symptom relief in MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD
6. 06 Eine neue Studie zeigt, wie DMT die kritische Dynamik von Gehirnwellen verändert und dadurch mit der Auflösung des Selbst zusammenhängt
7. 07 Literaturübersicht findet keine belastbaren Belege für einen verbreiteten Suizideinsatz des Fliegenpilzes

This week brought clearer evidence on Oregon's regulated psilocybin services, microdosing, cognition, and possible mechanisms, alongside an open-science step for ibogaine. The findings also exposed practical gaps in funding, safety, and translation to care.

1. 01 Oregon's state-licensed psilocybin program shows strong real-world outcomes as regulators consider fees that could threaten its survival
2. 02 Metaanalyse zu Psychedelika im Microdosing findet bei gesunden Erwachsenen keinen konsistenten unmittelbaren Nutzen
3. 03 Systematische Übersichtsarbeit zeigt uneinheitliche Auswirkungen von LSD, DMT und Psilocybin auf kognitive und psychologische Funktionen
4. 04 University of Miami’s Gift of Its 1994 Ibogaine IND to HHS Advances Open Science While Highlighting Modern Safety and Sourcing Needs
5. 05 Psilocybin reverses depressive-like behaviors and restores hippocampal neuron growth in chronically stressed rats
6. 06 What is stopping psychedelic therapy in China? Jennifer Docherty on clinicians, family decision-making, and end-of-life care
7. 07 The 5-MeO-DMT Patent Race Has a Twist: The Clinical Leader Barely Owns Any of It

This week brought early clinical evidence in anorexia, major pharma backing for non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogens, and research challenging familiar assumptions about psychedelic history and ritual. New theoretical work also examined how psilocybin may alter the sense of self.

1. 01 Psilocybin treatment in people with anorexia nervosa showed feasibility, acceptable safety, and possible symptom relief in an early clinical study
2. 02 Johnson & Johnson is set to lead Delix Therapeutics' $85 million Series C, signaling major pharma backing for non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogens
3. 03 Studie findet keine historischen Belege fuer eine angeblich uralte Nutzung von Kroetenmedizin und ordnet die Erzaehlung um 5-MeO-DMT kulturgeschichtlich neu ein
4. 04 Ceremony length tracks drug duration across 11 traditions, linking psychedelic pharmacology with ritual structure and community response
5. 05 Psilocybin alters consciousness by loosening the brain's ordinary predictive control, increasing uncertainty and promoting a felt sense of oneness

This week paired early therapeutic signals with sharper attention to safety, regulation, and stewardship. New work ranged from postpartum depression and ibogaine analogs to specialized aftercare and Gabon's control over iboga.

1. 01 5-MeO-DMT zeigt in einer ersten klinischen Studie Potenzial gegen postpartale Depression mit rascher Wirkung und anhaltender Symptomverbesserung
2. 02 First-of-its-kind clinic treats psychedelic side effects as more people seek help for lingering anxiety, perceptual changes, trauma, and spiritual distress
3. 03 Engineered psychedelic analog in mice retains antidepressant-like and anti-inflammatory effects while avoiding the severe gastrointestinal distress seen with ibogaine
4. 04 MAPS addresses progress in FDA discussions on MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and outlines regulatory steps, safety oversight, and the path toward potential resubmission
5. 05 Gabon places ibogaine policy within national sovereignty, cultural stewardship, and global demand as international interest in iboga-derived medicine accelerates
6. 06 5-HT2A-Rezeptoraktivierung verstärkt in präklinischen Darmkrebsmodellen die antitumorale Immunantwort und deutet auf ein neues onkologisches Wirkprinzip hin
7. 07 Can magic mushrooms help treat cocaine dependence? Psilocybin is being studied as a therapy that may reduce craving, relapse risk, and compulsive drug use

This week brought early clinical signals for anorexia and depression, alongside closer scrutiny of how psychedelic care is actually delivered. Conservation, commercialization, culture, and historical power also shaped the strongest debates.

1. 01 Psilocybin could help kick-start anorexia recovery as early clinical results suggest improved flexibility, emotional processing and openness to change
2. 02 Brief DMT trips linked to lasting improvements in quality of life for depressed patients, with stronger mystical effects predicting better outcomes
3. 03 Psilocybin therapy for PTSD relies heavily on silence, with patients speaking less during dosing than in preparation or integration sessions
4. 04 The Psychedelic Toad Milkers traces the people extracting 5-MeO-DMT from Sonoran Desert toads and the ethical, ecological, and cultural harms tied to that practice
5. 05 Scoping-Review zur Rolle von Musik in psychedelischen Erfahrungen findet deutliche Einfluesse auf Emotionen und Intensitaet, aber nur begrenzte und heterogene Evidenz
6. 06 Psychedelikforschung soll sich neu ausrichten - Autoren kritisieren den Begriff der psychedelischen Renaissance und fordern mehr historische, kulturelle und ethische Einordnung
7. 07 The ayahuasca-to-Jesus pipeline links psychedelic healing, spiritual crisis, and conversion to conservative Christianity in post-ceremony communities

This week brought an early clinical signal for psilocybin-assisted therapy in veterans with severe PTSD, alongside studies refining how psychedelics affect brain networks and stress biology. Practical harm reduction and scrutiny of underground care rounded out the picture.

1. 01 Safety, feasibility, and preliminary clinical outcomes of psilocybin-assisted therapy for veterans with severe, treatment-resistant PTSD: an open-label pilot clinical trial - Communications Medicine
2. 02 Neuroscientists find psychedelics may alter brain function through shifts in cortical hierarchy, challenging the idea that stronger global connectivity explains the psychedelic state
3. 03 Meskalin veraendert Kleinhirn-Funktion und globale Hirnvernetzung - fMRT-Studie an Ratten zeigt Hinweise auf neuronale Mechanismen psychedelischer Wahrnehmungsveraenderungen
4. 04 Ayahuasca may protect the brain from stress-related damage in marmosets, with changes in neural plasticity markers linked to resilience and reduced inflammation
5. 05 Know Before You Go gives festivalgoers practical harm reduction guidance on substance checking, hydration, consent, overheating, and emergency response before events
6. 06 Underground psychedelic guides face ethical and practical questions about disclosure, training, consent, and the risks of operating outside legal therapeutic systems

This week brought a molecular clue to psychedelics' lasting effects, preclinical evidence on psilocybin and learning, and a long-term ibogaine case. Questions of product integrity, intellectual property, and Indigenous history also stood out.

1. 01 Psychedelic drugs trigger a sustained intracellular signaling response through serotonin 2A receptors that may help explain their long-lasting effects
2. 02 Psilocybin may improve the brain's ability to adapt and learn by reopening critical periods of plasticity, according to new preclinical research
3. 03 Ibogain bei Ketamin-Gebrauchsstorung - erster dokumentierter Langzeitfall zeigt anhaltende Abstinenz und klinische Verbesserungen nach 18 Monaten
4. 04 The Psilomethoxin saga continues as lab testing, legal pressure, and public criticism deepen doubts about the Church of Psilomethoxin's claimed sacrament
5. 05 COMPASS Pathways' COMP360-Patente stehen unter Druck, doch das US-Portfolio zu psilocybinhaltigen Formulierungen und Behandlungsmethoden bleibt teilweise durchgesetzt
6. 06 A lost 1619 peyote document links early colonial records to Indigenous ritual use and the long history of mescaline-containing cactus in New Spain

FDA guidance, a major pharmaceutical acquisition, and debate over psilocybin care models put regulation and commercialization at the center of the week. New research also examined lasting psilocybin outcomes, LSD brain dynamics, and emerging drug risks.

1. 01 FDA issues final guidance for psychedelic drug development and schedules a September public hearing on the future of psychedelic therapies
2. 02 Eli Lilly agrees to buy psychedelics drugmaker Atai Beckley for $2.8 billion, pushing large pharma deeper into clinical psychedelic development
3. 03 Compass Pathways' push for scalable psilocybin treatment centers on whether psychotherapy should remain essential to COMP360-assisted care
4. 04 New study links psilocybin-assisted therapy to lasting reductions in depression symptoms and changes in brain network flexibility over several months
5. 05 Brain scans reveal how LSD desynchronizes local neural activity and reorganizes large-scale brain dynamics linked to altered conscious experience
6. 06 Uebersichtsarbeit zum Fliegenpilz - Amanita muscaria gewinnt im Umfeld neuer psychoaktiver Substanzen an Bedeutung, mit Fokus auf Konsumformen, Risiken und Wissensluecken
7. 07 In-silico-Studie bewertet das toxikologische Profil von PCP-Analoga als neue psychoaktive Substanzen und vergleicht potenzielle Risiken mit bekanntem PCP
8. 08 Gabon places iboga at the center of cultural sovereignty, linking Bwiti tradition, conservation, and control over how a sacred plant enters global psychedelic markets

Clinical development defined the week, with early studies extending psychedelic treatment research into anorexia, postpartum depression, migraine, and oral ketamine. Oregon's evolving rules and newly detected LSD analogues showed policy and harm reduction moving alongside the science.

1. 01 Psilocybin therapy for adult females with anorexia nervosa: pilot study in The British Journal of Psychiatry assessing feasibility, safety and early clinical signals
2. 02 Luvelsilocin enters FDA trials as a fast-acting psilocybin-derived treatment candidate for postpartum depression with effects designed to fit a short therapeutic window
3. 03 Psychedelic use is linked to a lower likelihood of migraines in a twin study, with within-pair analyses suggesting the association is not fully explained by shared genetics or family environment
4. 04 Oregon's psilocybin program faces major regulatory changes as Senate Bill 303 advances and the state's first licensed service centers navigate implementation
5. 05 1Bz-LSD und 1-TMSBz-LSD markieren den erstmaligen Nachweis zweier neuartiger LSD-Derivate in Japan und zeigen die fortlaufende Ausdifferenzierung des LSD-Analogenmarkts
6. 06 Neue Ketamin-Tablette zeigt in ersten Daten wenige Nebenwirkungen, doch Nutzen und Risiken einer Langzeitbehandlung bei Depressionen bleiben noch unklar

This week brought new evidence on lasting personality shifts, reward circuitry, and the metabolism of a little-studied psychedelic. It also surfaced practical resources and ethical questions for clinical research, from ibogaine safety to false memories.

1. 01 Classic psychedelics are linked to lasting increases in openness and reductions in neuroticism, with effects shaped by mystical experiences and ego dissolution
2. 02 A single dose of psilocybin reduces reward-seeking behavior by altering inhibitory brain cells in the prefrontal cortex, with effects linked to SST interneurons
3. 03 Studie erfasst erstmals umfassend den Stoffwechsel von 25E-NBOH und identifiziert 51 Metaboliten als Grundlage für Konsumforschung und Forensik
4. 04 MAPS publishes a free open-access ibogaine Investigator's Brochure to support researchers with pharmacology, safety, dosing, and clinical development guidance
5. 05 Psychedelics and false memories raise clinical and ethical concerns when suggestibility, trauma work, and psychedelic-assisted therapy intersect in vulnerable states
6. 06 A psilocybin study found that the same psychedelic experience can increase harmony or intensify social division depending on a participant's preexisting ideological lens
7. 07 Discovering Ketamine with Dr. Edward Domino

This week brought a clearer picture of how psychedelics reorganize brain networks, alongside clinical questions about LSD, 5-MeO-DMT, and the role of therapy. A US military policy change also narrowed a longstanding federal barrier tied to prior psilocybin use.

1. 01 An international brain imaging analysis finds psychedelics reorganize cortical connectivity, increasing global integration while reducing localized network segregation
2. 02 LSD for depression shows mixed Phase 3 results as Definium's data highlights remission gains, weaker response rates, and unresolved comparisons with psilocybin
3. 03 A new 5-MeO-DMT trial raises questions about how much psychotherapy adds to psychedelic-assisted treatment for depression and trauma-related symptoms
4. 04 The US military ended a 16-year drug testing ban on recruits with psilocybin use histories, signaling a narrower federal barrier for psychedelic-experienced applicants
5. 05 Synethetic Ibogaine-Natural Tramadol
6. 06 MDMA guide covering effects, dosage, safety, testing, contraindications, and practical harm reduction for people considering ecstasy use

This week brought early evidence on delayed learning effects, emotional threat processing, and the role of social context in psychedelic outcomes. It also sharpened practical questions around study design, equity, and the ecological costs of toad-derived 5-MeO-DMT.

1. 01 One dose of LSD boosts learning the next day in mice, with stronger cognitive flexibility linked to serotonin 2A receptor signaling and delayed behavioral effects
2. 02 Brain scans link regular psychedelic use to reduced reactivity to fearful faces and stronger prefrontal regulation during emotional threat processing
3. 03 Leitfaden fuer die Planung psychedelischer Studien ordnet Studiendesign, Sicherheit, Ethik und regulatorische Anforderungen fuer klinische Forschung
4. 04 New study finds psychedelic use at raves and ceremonies is linked to reduced trauma symptoms, with emotional breakthrough and social connection shaping healing
5. 05 Mikrodosing mit Psychedelika ist laut einer internationalen Studie besonders unter Frauen verbreitet und geht mit seltenerem Konsum anderer Drogen einher
6. 06 Psychedelic exceptionalism centers white, wealthy, educated users while sidelining Indigenous traditions, racialized communities, and the broader realities of drug policy
7. 07 Is the boom in toad-derived 5-MeO-DMT harming Sonoran Desert toads, and can synthetic 5-MeO-DMT reduce ecological pressure while preserving access?

This week brought early clinical and preclinical signals for psilocybin in suicidal ideation and Alzheimer's, alongside evidence refining psychosis and flashback risks. A poisoning outbreak and a new global study underscored the need for better product safety and real-world data.

1. 01 A single dose of psilocybin shows months-long reductions in chronic suicidal ideation, with a small new study reporting durable effects and manageable acute risks
2. 02 Psilocybin restores cognitive function and synaptic density in an Alzheimer's mouse model, with stronger gains after low-dose treatment before plaque onset
3. 03 Baseline psychiatric history confounds observed links between hallucinogen use and later psychosis in population data, reducing evidence for a direct causal association
4. 04 An Amanita mushroom poisoning outbreak in New York City traces severe illness to mislabeled toxic mushrooms sold as psilocybin edibles
5. 05 Psychedelic flashbacks correlate with elevated risk of functional somatic syndromes, with stronger links among women and people with severe visual effects
6. 06 Largest real-world psychedelic study launches to track mental health, wellbeing, and outcomes across naturalistic use at unprecedented global scale
7. 07 Utah HB 390 advances state-backed psychedelic research for veterans with PTSD through a task force, clinical planning, and a two-year implementation path

This week brought sharper scrutiny of psychedelic medicine's evidence and safety, alongside legal rulings that may widen access. Psychiatry's cautious engagement shows the field moving toward implementation without resolving core clinical and ethical questions.

1. 01 UK woman seeking access to psilocybin therapy wins key human rights court ruling that forces a judicial review of medicine access and end-of-life care
2. 02 Court overturns legal aid refusal in psilocybin post-trial case, allowing a patient to challenge denied access to continued treatment after a clinical study ended
3. 03 Psychedelics re-enter mainstream psychiatry at the American Psychiatric Association meeting amid clinical promise, professional caution, and tensions over evidence and implementation
4. 04 Can MDMA cure PTSD? A new review finds the evidence is not yet strong enough to support cure claims and highlights unresolved safety, bias, and trial-design concerns
5. 05 Hallucinogen use is linked to a small increase in heart valve disease risk, with stronger associations in women and no clear evidence of severe dysfunction
6. 06 Review zu Psychedelika bei Borderline-Stoerung - vorhandene Evidenz, Risiken, therapeutische Chancen und offene Fragen fuer Forschung und klinische Praxis
7. 07 Psychedelika und Modellpsychose - eine Studie prueft, ob Halluzinogene Schizophrenie wirklich nachbilden oder ein eigenes neuropsychologisches Muster zeigen

This week brought new clinical and preclinical signals for psilocybin, alongside a federal MDMA study for veterans. Reviews also exposed evidence gaps in autism research and ethnographic work on psychedelic rituals.

1. 01 Veterans Affairs announces a new MDMA therapy study for veterans with PTSD and expands federal attention on psychedelic-assisted mental health care
2. 02 One or two psilocybin doses still reduce depression symptoms weeks later, with antidepressant effects linked to the intensity of the psychedelic experience
3. 03 Single-dose psilocybin reduces neuropathic pain and outperforms gabapentin in a mouse study, with effects linked to serotonin 5-HT2A signaling
4. 04 Neue Review zu Psychedelika bei Autismus-Spektrum-Stoerungen fasst Forschungsstand, moegliche Wirkmechanismen und therapeutische Chancen zusammen
5. 05 Ein Scope Review bewertet ethnologische Feldforschung zu psychedelischen Ritualen als wissenschaftlich ungenuegend und fordert belastbarere Methoden sowie klarere Standards
6. 06 Wellness culture absorbs psychedelic healing into consumer self-optimization while leaving its political, ethical, and communal contradictions largely unresolved