OPEN Foundation

Author name: OPEN Foundation

Darwin’s Pharmacy: Sex, Plants, and the Evolution of the Noösphere (In Vivo)

Darwin’s Pharmacy: Sex, Plants, and the Evolution of the Noösphere (In Vivo) by Richard M. Doyle, University of Washington Press, 2011.

In his book ‘Darwin’s Pharmacy: Sex, Plants, and the Evolution of the Noösphere (In Vivo)’, Penn State English professor Richard Doyle weaves an intricate argument that challenges some of our scientific presuppositions, like intentionality, evolution and language. He carefully analyses the influence psychedelics can have on perception and suggests an almost Copernican revolution. If we find the spiritual peak experiences evoked by plants and fungi function as “eloquence adjuncts”, and in turn we help these “bringers of beauty” reproduce, then whose intelligence can be said to influence whom?

Writing about trip reports, shamanism and cannabis pornography, Doyle tries to find a language that, like a psychedelic experience, transcends the subject/object dichotomy. His goal is to break down our ordinary way of thinking, so we can form a new perspective. A perspective in which consciousness is always already embedded in an ecological context, which means that everything we experience is dependent on ‘set and setting.’ Doyle seems to be apt when he renames these psychoactives as ‘ecodelics’ because these plants and compounds help us to perceive our interconnection with the ecosystems of our planet.

The result is a rich and challenging book in which form and content are inseparable, and the lines between facts and interpretations get blurred. The blending of his myriad ideas can only be understood in its entirety, which runs the risks that some of his key insights will be overlooked. But for the philosophically inclined reader with an open mind, it’s a well-written book that challenges many assumptions and should be read for that reason alone.

Buy this book on bookdepository.com and support the OPEN Foundation

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Symposium Universiteit Utrecht: Psychedelics – Novel Applications for Depression

SymposiumUnitas

 Psychedelics – Novel Applications for Depression

An evening symposium dedicated to recent research into the potential anti-depressant effects and mechanisms of action of psychedelic drugs. Organized in collaboration with U.P.S.V. “Unitas Pharmaceuticorum”.

There’s a recognized need among therapists for more effective interventions for depression. The currently available psychopharmaceutical medications don’t work for everyone. What do we know about the effectiveness of psychedelics? To discuss these topics, we invited three young researchers, from three countries and three related disciplines. All presentations will be in English.

  • Tobias Buchborn is a German neuropsychologist, doing research at the Otto van Guericke University in Magdeburg. He studied the antidepressant potential of LSD in animals and will present his findings and implications for the clinical practice.
  • Mendel Kaelen is a Dutch neuroscientist working at Imperial College London. His talk will cover neuroimaging studies concerning the brain mechanisms of psychedelics and music, and their role in psychedelic-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression. You can read about his most recent publication here.
  • Tharcila Chaves is a Brazilian pharmacist, who is currently studying the effects of orally administered ketamine for therapy resistant severely depressed patients at the Medical Centre of the University of Groningen (UMCG).

There will be time for a plenary discussion and Q&A with the researchers afterwards. Please be on time!

Date: September 15th, 2015
Time: 19:00 – 22:00
Location: Marinus Ruppertgebouw (blue lecture hall), Leuvenlaan 21, Utrecht.
Tickets: €2,- for members Unitas Pharmaceuticorum / €7,50 for non-members. Sold on location.
Reserve your ticket(s) by sending an email to assessor1@upsv.nl (Unitas Pharmaceuticorum)
Also see the Facebook event page for updates and more information.

Symposium Universiteit Utrecht: Psychedelics – Novel Applications for Depression Read More »

Symposium Utrecht University: Psychedelics – Novel Applications for Depression

Unitassymposium

Psychedelics – Novel Applications for Depression

An evening symposium dedicated to recent research into the potential anti-depressant effects and mechanisms of action of psychedelic drugs. Organized in collaboration with U.P.S.V. “Unitas Pharmaceuticorum”.

There’s a recognized need among therapists for more effective interventions for depression. The currently available psychopharmaceutical medications don’t work for everyone. What do we know about the effectiveness of psychedelics? To discuss these topics, we invited three young researchers, from three countries and three related disciplines. All presentations will be in English.

  • Tobias Buchborn is a German neuropsychologist, doing research at the Otto van Guericke University in Magdeburg. He studied the antidepressant potential of LSD in animals and will present his findings and implications for the clinical practice.
  • Mendel Kaelen is a Dutch neuroscientist working at Imperial College London. His talk will cover neuroimaging studies concerning the brain mechanisms of psychedelics and music, and their role in psychedelic-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression. You can read about his most recent publication here.
  • Tharcila Chaves is a Brazilian pharmacist, who is currently studying the effects of orally administered ketamine for therapy resistant severely depressed patients at the Medical Centre of the University of Groningen (UMCG).

There will be time for a plenary discussion and Q&A with the researchers afterwards. Please be on time!

Date: September 15th, 2015
Time: 19:00 – 22:00
Location: Marinus Ruppertgebouw (blue lecture hall), Leuvenlaan 21, Utrecht.
Tickets: €2,- for members Unitas Pharmaceuticorum / €7,50 for non-members. Sold on location.
Reserve your ticket(s) by sending an email to assessor1@upsv.nl (Unitas Pharmaceuticorum)

Also see the Facebook event page for updates and more information.

Symposium Utrecht University: Psychedelics – Novel Applications for Depression Read More »

Does LSD enhance the emotional response to music?

Aside from its hallucinogenic properties, LSD is known to have noticeable effects on emotion. This is one of the reasons why psychedelics were used in psychotherapy in the 1950s and 60s, hypothesizing that they facilitate emotional release and insight  [1][2]. Similarly, music can evoke emotion and was also a component in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, for aiding emotional arousal and release, and in promoting the occurrence of peak or spiritual-type experiences [3][4]. Working at Imperial College, London, neuroscientist and OPEN board member Mendel Kaelen and colleagues conducted a study [5] aiming to explore the significance of music in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Using a placebo-controlled setup, the study sought to test the hypothesis that the emotional response to music is enhanced on LSD. The research team also investigated the role of music in occasioning peak or spiritual-type experiences.

Ten participants attended two study days. During one such day, they received a placebo (10ml saline), while on the other day they were given between 40 and 80 μg of LSD, with roughly a week in between. The design was single-blind, which means participants were blind to which condition they were in, but researchers were not. Participants listened to a playlist of five different (mostly neo-classical and ambient) instrumental tracks on each of the two study days, with the order of the playlist counterbalanced across participants. In order to assess the emotional response to the music, participants were asked how emotionally affected they were by the music, which served as the primary outcome. Furthermore, the Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS-9) was used to investigate the specific factors of the participants’ emotional experiences, consisting of nine subcategories of emotion (wonder, transcendence, power, tenderness, nostalgia, peacefulness, joyful activation, and tension). The results showed that the mean scores for the emotional response to music were significantly higher for the LSD condition than for the placebo. Additionally, all nine factors on the GEMS-9 scored higher in the LSD condition than in the placebo, with significant increases for the items “wonder”, “transcendence”, “power” and “tenderness”. Correlational analyses showed a significant positive relationship between ratings of intensity of drug effects and emotional arousal to music.

The finding that LSD enhances the emotional response to music supports the popular assumption that music has more significance under the influence of psychedelic drugs. Emotions of transcendence and wonder are traditionally thought of as core constituents of peak and spiritual experiences [6][7]. This led the authors to infer that the combination of LSD and music may increase the likelihood of having spiritual-type or peak experiences. Moreover, these experiences have been shown to correlate with sustained improvements in well-being and life satisfaction [8] and also with increases in the personality trait of openness [9], which supports the view that music is an important element in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Due to this being a pilot study, it does come with its limitations. Small sample size and musical genre selection mean that results cannot be generalised to a larger population. Also, participants could have guessed the purpose of the study, meaning the results could reflect their own or the researchers’ expectations. Additionally, results could be attributed to the effect of LSD alone, rather than the specific effect of music in combination with the drug.

When asked about the implications of his study for future research, Mr. Kaelen told us these are just humble first steps in helping build an evidence-based approach to psychedelic therapy. “It’s important to start a discussion on the role of music and the importance of the setting in general within psychedelic therapy,” Kaelen said. “Due to the study’s limitations, future studies have to come up with different designs and more detailed research questions.” Kaelen also mentioned research already underway at Imperial College, including brain imaging studies with FMRI and MEG, which aim to investigate which brain mechanisms are involved. He also emphasised the importance of translating elements into clinical work. “A clinical trial, now in progress at Imperial, uses psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Part of this study looks at the role of music, which will hopefully further our understanding of how music and psychedelic therapy work together.”


[1] Busch AK, Johnson WC (1950) L.S.D. 25 as an aid in psychotherapy; preliminary report of a new drug. Diseases of the nervous system 11: 241-243

[2] Leuner HC (1983) Psycholytic therapy: Hallucinogenics as an aid in psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy In Psychedelic Reflections, ed. Grinspoon L & Bakalar JB, pp. 177-192: Human Science Press

[3] Bonny HL, Pahnke WN (1972) The use of music in psychedelic (LSD) psychotherapy. Journal of music therapy: 64-87

[4] Grof S (1980) LSD Psychotherapy. Hunter House Publishers, US.

[5] Kaelen et al. (2015) LSD enhances the emotional response to music . Psychopharmacology [Abstract]

[6] Maslow AH (1993) The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Arkana

[7] Richards WA (2009) The rebirth of research with entheogens: lessons from the past and hypotheses for the future. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology Vol. 41: 139-150

[8] Griffiths RR, Richards W, Johnson MW, McCann U, Jesse R (2008) Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later. Journal of psychopharmacology 22: 621-632

[9] MacLean KA, Johnson MW, Griffiths RR (2011) Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness. Journal of psychopharmacology 25: 1453-1461

Does LSD enhance the emotional response to music? Read More »

Versterkt LSD de emotionele reactie op muziek?

Music_Psychedelic_pictureNaast zijn hallucinogene eigenschappen staat LSD erom bekend merkbare effecten te hebben op emotie. Dit is een van de redenen waarom psychedelica in de jaren vijftig en zestig werden gebruikt bij psychotherapie, onder de hypothese dat ze emotionele bevrijding en inzichten helpen bereiken [1][2]. Muziek kan op soortgelijke manier emoties oproepen en was ook een onderdeel van psychedelica-ondersteunde psychotherapie, ter bevordering van emotionele prikkeling en verlossing, en om te helpen ‘piek’- of spirituele ervaringen op te roepen [3][4]. Mendel Kaelen, als neurowetenschapper werkzaam bij het Imperial College te Londen en OPEN bestuurslid, en zijn collega’s, voerden een onderzoek [5] uit met als doel de significantie van muziek bij psychedelica-ondersteunde psychotherapie te verkennen. Het onderzoek richtte zich op het toetsen van de hypothese dat de emotionele reactie op muziek wordt versterkt door LSD, gebruikmakend van een placebo-gecontroleerde opstelling. Het onderzoeksteam onderzocht ook de rol van muziek bij het opwekken van piek- of spirituele ervaringen.

Tien deelnemers woonden twee onderzoeksdagen bij. Op een van die dagen kregen ze een placebo (10ml zoutoplossing), terwijl ze op de andere dag tussen 40 en 80 μg LSD kregen, met ongeveer een week ertussen. Het ontwerp was enkelblind, wat betekent dat de deelnemers niet wisten in welke toestand ze verkeerden, maar de onderzoekers wel. Deelnemers luisterden naar een afspeellijst van vijf verschillende instrumentele nummers (voornamelijk neoklassiek en ambient) op beide onderzoeksdagen, waarbij de volgorde van de nummers door de deelnemersgroep heen evenredig werd verdeeld. Om de emotionele reactie op de muziek vast te stellen, werden deelnemers gevraagd hoezeer ze emotioneel werden beïnvloed door de muziek. Hun antwoorden vormden de hoofdzakelijke uitkomst van het onderzoek. Verder werd de Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS-9) gebruikt om de specifieke factoren van de emotionele ervaringen van de deelnemers te onderzoeken, bestaande uit 9 subcategorieën van emotie (verwondering, transcendentie, kracht, zachtheid, nostalgie, vredigheid, speelse activering en spanning). De resultaten lieten zien dat de gemiddelde scores voor emotionele respons op muziek significant hoger waren voor de LSD-toestand dan voor de placebo. Daar bovenop bleek dat alle negen factoren van de GEMS-9 hoger scoorden bij de LSD-toestand dan bij de placebo, met significante toenames bij de aspecten “verwondering”, “transcendentie”, “kracht” en “zachtheid”. Verbandzoekende analyses lieten een significante positieve relatie zien tussen de aangegeven intensiteit van de effecten van de toegediende middelen en de emotionele prikkeling door de muziek.

De bevinding dat LSD de emotionele reactie op muziek versterkt ondersteunt de populaire aanname dat muziek meer betekenis heeft onder invloed van psychedelica. Overstijgings-emoties (transcendentie) en gevoelens van verwondering worden van oudsher gezien als kernelementen van spirituele of piekervaringen [6][7]. Hieruit leidden de onderzoekers af dat de combinatie van LSD en muziek de kans op het hebben van spirituele of piekervaringen kan vergroten. Bovendien is van deze ervaringen in het verleden aangetoond dat ze in verband kunnen worden gebracht met blijvende verbeteringen in gevoelens van welzijn en levensblijheid [8] en ook met toenames in de persoonlijkheidseigenschap van openheid [9], wat de opvatting ondersteunt dat muziek een belangrijk element in psychedelisch-ondersteunde therapie is.

Aangezien dit een pilot-onderzoek is, zijn er beperkingen aan verbonden. Een kleine populatievertegenwoordiging en de selectie van muziekgenres betekenen dat de resultaten niet kunnen worden gegeneraliseerd voor een grotere bevolkingsgroep. Ook kunnen de deelnemers hebben geraden wat het doel van het onderzoek was, wat betekent dat de resultaten zouden kunnen voortkomen uit hun eigen verwachtingen, of die van de onderzoekers. Daarbij zouden de resultaten ook alleen aan het effect van LSD kunnen worden toegeschreven, in plaats van aan het specifieke effect van muziek in combinatie met het middel.

Op de vraag naar de implicaties van zijn onderzoek voor toekomstige studies, zei dhr. Kaelen ons dat dit slechts bescheiden eerste stapjes zijn in het bijdragen aan een door bewijs geschraagde aanpak van psychedelische therapie. “Het is belangrijk om de discussie aan te gaan over de rol van muziek, en meer algemeen over het belang van de juiste setting, bij psychedelische therapie,” zegt Kaelen. “Vanwege de beperkingen van dit onderzoek moeten toekomstige studies andere ontwerpen en meer gedetailleerde onderzoeksvragen bedenken.” Kaelen noemde ook reeds aangevangen onderzoeken door het Imperial College, waarbij onder andere gebruik wordt gemaakt van hersenscans zoals fMRI en MEG, en die zich richten op de vraag welke hersenmechanismen hierbij betrokken zijn. Hij legde ook de nadruk op het belang van het vertalen van elementen naar klinisch werk. “Een klinisch onderzoek, dat momenteel aan het Imperial College gaande is, maakt gebruik van psilocybine voor behandelings-resistente depressie. Een deel van dit onderzoek kijkt naar de rol van muziek, wat hopelijk zal bijdragen aan een dieper inzicht in hoe muziek en psychedelische therapie samenwerken.”


[1] Busch AK, Johnson WC (1950) L.S.D. 25 as an aid in psychotherapy; preliminary report of a new drug. Diseases of the nervous system 11: 241-243

[2] Leuner HC (1983) Psycholytic therapy: Hallucinogenics as an aid in psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy In Psychedelic Reflections, ed. Grinspoon L & Bakalar JB, pp. 177-192: Human Science Press

[3] Bonny HL, Pahnke WN (1972) The use of music in psychedelic (LSD) psychotherapy. Journal of music therapy: 64-87

[4] Grof S (1980) LSD Psychotherapy. Hunter House Publishers, US

[5] Kaelen et al. (2015) LSD enhances the emotional response to music . Journal of Psychopharmacology

[6] Maslow AH (1993) The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Arkana

[7] Richards WA (2009) The rebirth of research with entheogens: lessons from the past and hypotheses for the future. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology Vol. 41: 139-150

[8] Griffiths RR, Richards W, Johnson MW, McCann U, Jesse R (2008) Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later. Journal of psychopharmacology 22: 621-632

[9] MacLean KA, Johnson MW, Griffiths RR (2011) Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness. Journal of psychopharmacology 25: 1453-1461

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Noribogaine is a G-Protein Biased κ-Opioid Receptor Agonist

Abstract

Noribogaine is the long-lived human metabolite of the anti-addictive substance ibogaine. Noribogaine efficaciously reaches the brain with concentrations up to 20 μM after acute therapeutic dose of 40 mg/kg ibogaine in animals. Noribogaine displays atypical opioid-like components in vivo, anti-addictive effects and potent modulatory properties of the tolerance to opiates for which the mode of action remained uncharacterized thus far. Our binding experiments and computational simulations indicates that noribogaine may bind to the orthosteric morphinan binding site of the opioid receptors. Functional activities of noribogaine at G-protein and non G-protein pathways of the mu and kappa opioid receptors were characterized. Noribogaine was a weak mu antagonist with a functional inhibition constants (Ke) of 20 μM at the G-protein and β-arrestin signaling pathways. Conversely, noribogaine was a G-protein biased kappa agonist 75% as efficacious as dynorphin A at stimulating GDP-GTP exchange (EC50 = 9 μM) but only 12% as efficacious at recruiting β-arrestin, which could contribute to the lack of dysphoric effects of noribogaine. In turn, noribogaine functionally inhibited dynorphin-induced kappa β-arrestin recruitment and was more potent than its G-protein agonistic activity with an IC50 of 1 μM. This biased agonist/antagonist pharmacology is unique to noribogaine in comparison to various other ligands including ibogaine, 18-MC, nalmefene, and 6’-GNTI. We predict noribogaine to promote certain analgesic effects as well as anti-addictive effects at effective concentrations >1 μM in the brain. Because elevated levels of dynorphins are commonly observed and correlated with anxiety, dysphoric effects, and decreased dopaminergic tone, a therapeutically relevant functional inhibition bias to endogenously released dynorphins by noribogaine might be worthy of consideration for treating anxiety and substance related disorders.

Maillet, E. L., Milon, N., Heghinian, M. D., Fishback, J., Schürer, S. C., Garamszegi, N., & Mash, D. C. (2015). Noribogaine is a G-Protein Biased κ-Opioid Receptor Agonist. Neuropharmacology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.08.032
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5-HT2A and mGlu2/3 receptor interactions: on their relevance to cognitive function and psychosis

Abstract

Serotonin [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] and glutamate have both been implicated in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders but also in the mechanism of antipsychotic and hallucinogenic drug actions. Furthermore, close antagonistic interactions between 5-HT2A and metabotropic glutamate (mGlu)2/3 receptors have been established over the last decades on the basis of numerous electrophysiological, biochemical, and behavioral studies. Besides synaptic mechanisms, more recent findings suggested that heterodimeric 5-HT2A-mGlu2 receptor complexes in the prefrontal cortex may account for the functional crosstalk between these two receptor subtypes. In this review, we focus on in-vitro and in-vivo studies documenting the important relationship between 5-HT2A and mGlu2/3 receptors, with relevance to both normal behavioral function and psychosis.

Wischhof, L., & Koch, M. (2015). 5-HT2A and mGlu2/3 receptor interactions: on their relevance to cognitive function and psychosis. Behavioural pharmacology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/FBP.0000000000000183
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Mathematics and mysticism

Abstract

Is there a world of mathematics above and beyond ordinary reality, as Plato proposed? Or is mathematics a cultural construct? In this short article we speculate on the place of mathematical reality from the perspective of the mystical cosmologies of the ancient traditions of meditation, psychedelics, and divination.

Abraham, R. (2015). Mathematics and Mysticism. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2015.08.016
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LSD enhances the emotional response to music

Abstract

RATIONALE:

There is renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD was used extensively in the 1950s and 1960s as an adjunct in psychotherapy, reportedly enhancing emotionality. Music is an effective tool to evoke and study emotion and is considered an important element in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; however, the hypothesis that psychedelics enhance the emotional response to music has yet to be investigated in a modern placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES:

The present study sought to test the hypothesis that music-evoked emotions are enhanced under LSD.

METHODS:

Ten healthy volunteers listened to five different tracks of instrumental music during each of two study days, a placebo day followed by an LSD day, separated by 5-7 days. Subjective ratings were completed after each music track and included a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the nine-item Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS-9).

RESULTS:

Results demonstrated that the emotional response to music is enhanced by LSD, especially the emotions “wonder”, “transcendence”, “power” and “tenderness”.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings reinforce the long-held assumption that psychedelics enhance music-evoked emotion, and provide tentative and indirect support for the notion that this effect can be harnessed in the context of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Further research is required to test this link directly.

Kaelen, M., Barrett, F. S., Roseman, L., Lorenz, R., Family, N., Bolstridge, M., … & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2015). LSD enhances the emotional response to music. Psychopharmacology, 1-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-4014-y
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Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and Psilocybin Revisited

Abstract

The past decade brought the beginnings of a renaissance in research on psychedelic drugs. Two articles in this issue of Biological Psychiatry signify that the resurrection of this long-ignored topic has begun to mature and bear at least the promise of fruit. In the early 1970s, the onset of the “War on Drugs” brought with it a near-total hiatus in serious research on psychedelic drugs, especially in the United States. The resumption of credible work in this area has come from Switzerland, where many of the original pioneering studies were initiated in the 1950s and 1960s.

Geyer, M. A. (2015). Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and Psilocybin Revisited. Biological psychiatry, 78(8), 516-518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.003
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Healing culture and its somewhat humorous discontents - July 22