Psilocybin study finds brain activity mirrors moment-to-moment experience
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A study of 62 people found psilocybin reorganizes brain activity to more closely track moment-to-moment experiences. Researchers at Monash University used fMRI and EEG to map 332 brain regions during meditation, music, and film. The effect was strongest in participants who reported the most intense psychedelic experiences.
Key Facts
- The study, published in Nature, tracked moment-by-moment changes across 332 brain regions using fMRI and EEG.
- 62 participants with no prior psychedelic experience took 19 milligrams of psilocybin in an oral capsule.
- Participants then meditated, listened to music, or watched a movie while their brain activity was recorded.
- The more intense the psilocybin experience, the clearer the neural signals for each activity became.
- Lead author Devon Stoliker and senior author Adeel Razi are researchers at Monash University's School of Psychological Sciences in Melbourne, Australia.
Study Design
Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, conducted one of the largest neuroimaging studies on psilocybin to date. The study involved 62 participants who had no prior experience with psychedelics. Each participant took 19 milligrams of psilocybin in an oral capsule. Brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). The researchers tracked moment-by-moment changes across 332 regions of the brain.
Findings
While psilocybin blurs some boundaries within the brain, neural reactions to current experiences become more distinct. Using artificial intelligence, the researchers identified brain patterns for each activity participants engaged in. The more intense the psilocybin experience, the clearer those neural signals were. Participants with the most defined brain activity patterns also reported more intense experiences of immersion and unity with the world. Lead author Devon Stoliker explained that brain networks became less distinct but reorganized into patterns reflecting what people were experiencing.
Therapeutic Implications
The findings provide nuance to the idea that psilocybin simply makes the brain chaotic. Senior author Adeel Razi emphasized that context is not just background to the psychedelic experience. Razi stated that for treatment, the environment and what a person does during the psychedelic session matter. The study offers a biological explanation for the sense of oneness many people describe during a psychedelic trip.
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Psilocybin study finds brain activity mirrors moment-to-moment experience
