What is a psychedelic?
A psychedelic is a molecule, an arrangement of atoms, which binds to neurons in the brain, producing an altered state of consciousness. Many psychedelic molecules, such as psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT are found in nature, while others such as LSD are synthesized in a lab. There is a wide array of known psychedelic molecules, and small tweaks in these molecules can produce very different experiences for the user. In fact, researchers have recently characterized a receptor in the brain to which certain psychedelic molecules bind, altering the users state of consciousness. The process is sort of like putting a key in a lock to open a door. Now that scientists know exactly how the lock is opened, they can create potentially millions of atomic arrangements to unlock a psychedelic experience.1 2
Psychedelic experiences are often described as indescribable. Psychedelics have the ability to induce deeply reflective, meaningful, and even spiritual experiences which tend to have lasting positive effects.3 Our minds tend to fall into default modes of operating as we grow older. Psychedelics temporarily disrupt this circuitry in our brain, allowing different regions to take the lead in our conscious experience.4 This often leads to great insight into oneself and one’s connection to the world at large.5
The term psychedelic itself emerged in the 1950’s from conversation between psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond and author Aldous Huxley, who sought to capture the experience of an LSD trip in a single word. They settled on psychedelic as a combination of the ancient Greek words psychē (“soul”) and dēloun (“to make visible, to reveal”), together translating to “mind-manifesting”. At this time, psychedelic molecules such as LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin were used as experimental psychiatric medicines. Dr. Stan Grof, psychiatrist and godfather of non-ordinary states of consciousness research likens the use of psychedelics for understanding the mind to using a microscope to understand cells, or a telescope to understand the stars. The mind manifests for the individual, but the mind also manifests for the psychiatric researchers seeking to understand and heal mental illness.
Despite the progress being made in medicine and mental health research, LSD and other psychedelic molecules would be outlawed a decade later. Psychedelic use moved underground, largely recreational, but with trained healers and therapists still operating covertly. Online forums and databases became data repositories for individually reported psychedelic experiences with classic psychedelics and newly synthesized molecules. These databases, such as Erowid, are used by researchers today to collect qualitative data about psychedelic experiences and cite these databases in leading academic journals. 6 7
Pre- and post-prohibition psychedelic users do not soon forget how powerful their experiences are. The movement to end psychedelic prohibition has been building steam since the day it started. A menagerie of individuals, organizations, private and public companies are on the forefront of this movement, and they have a common goal: bring psychedelics to the people who need them and want them.
The reason is simple, psychedelic molecules have enormous healing potential.
I have created this resource to distill the science behind this simple fact into digestible information for you, my readers. I will talk about the chemistry, the biology, and the psychology of these molecules in the context of the people, organizations, and companies who are working to bring them to the public. The psychedelic world is right here, on the Tab.
⚗️ Stay tuned Friday for a breakdown of this week’s psychedelic research article.
⚛️ Dropping next Monday: The Chemistry of Psychedelics
What to expect on The Tab:
Future newsletters will contain a menagerie of cool/interesting/essential links, factoids, and suggestions for how to stay in the know about the psychedelic world. This time however, I want to give you an idea of what topics to expect on The Tab.
My approach is ground-up. The first things we will cover are the fundamentals of chemistry, biology, and psychology of psychedelic molecules. You’ll need this foundation to better understand current psychedelic research, and the significance of the technologies coming out of the private sector.
Once we’ve got that down, we’ll talk mental health crisis and how psychedelics have been drawn out of hiding to solve this massive societal issue. This will lead nicely into a rundown of the psychedelic industry. We cannot forget, however, the sustaining force of the psychedelic world, i.e. the psychedelic underground. I’ll end with a view into the “illegal” research performed by brave souls, which has laid the foundation for the “legal” research happening now.
Once we are through the overview stage, we can start to dive deep on the science behind psychoactive molecules, the diseases they can treat, the theories of consciousness they’ve helped develop, the therapies they’re used in, the companies that want to sell them, the new technologies developed to create and administer them, and many, many more fascinating topics related to them. I’m definitely here to teach you about psychedelics, but I’m also here to teach you about science in general.
That being said, I would LOVE to HEAR from YOU what psychedelic science topics want to see featured on The Tab. Reach out, all the time. It’s going to be a fun ride.
Tunes for your next flow state:
🔥 Jan Blomqvist, Burning Man, 2019
🍯 Best of FKJ
Thanks for dropping in on The Tab
My name is Tyler, I’m a Ph.D. candidate in Animal Behavior, and I teach science.
I also believe psychedelics can save the world if their widespread availability is paired with widespread availability of knowledge about what they are, how they work, and where they can take us.
Psychedelic researchers and entrepreneurs are collectively producing an impressive knowledge base, though a steep learning curve awaits those who seek insights into this sector.
I am here to extract, purify, and deliver incredibly pure information on psychedelic science, research, and industry so you can make educated choices in using, supporting, and/or investing in psychedelics. This is The Tab.
The Syllabus
🍎 Monday, you will receive a surprisingly digestible lesson in psychedelics. I’ll include some other lesson enhancers in there, like trippy facts, must-reads, and some tunes for your next flow state.
⚗️ Friday, I will send a breakdown of the coolest psychedelic research paper of the week.
🙋🏾 24/7 I will be taking questions. Reach out to me with any questions you have related to psychedelic science, new research, industry, etc. I’ll feature especially interesting/topical/popular questions in my weekly newsletter.
Feedback is essential for this experiment in information distillation to run smoothly. If there is something you want to hear about or want to understand something in way that I haven’t yet presented it, reach out, talk to me, and we’ll make it happen.
Kim, K. et al. Structure of a Hallucinogen-Activated Gq-Coupled 5-HT2A Serotonin Receptor. Cell. 182, 1574-1588.e19 (2020).
Lyu, J. et al. Ultra-large library docking for discovering new chemotypes. Nature. 566, 224–229 (2019).
Griffiths, R. R. et al. Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors. J. Psychopharmacol. 32, 49–69 (2018).
Lord, L. D. et al. Dynamical exploration of the repertoire of brain networks at rest is modulated by psilocybin. Neuroimage. 199, 127–142 (2019).
Smigielski, L., Scheidegger, M., Kometer, M. & Vollenweider, F. X. Psilocybin-assisted mindfulness training modulates self-consciousness and brain default mode network connectivity with lasting effects. Neuroimage. 196, 207–215 (2019).
Sanz, C. & Tagliazucchi, E. The experience elicited by hallucinogens presents the highest similarity to dreaming within a large database of psychoactive substance reports. Front. Neurosci. 12, 1–19 (2018).
Garcia-Romeu, A. et al. Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use. J. Psychopharmacol. 33, 1088–1101 (2019).
This is amazing work. Thank you Tyler.
Tyler, I love what you are doing here! The Tab is exactly what I was looking for. May the wind fill your sails!