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Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychedelic use is anecdotally associated with belief changes, although few studies have tested these claims. AIM Characterize a broad range of psychedelic occasioned belief changes. SURVEY A survey was conducted in 2374 respondents who endorsed having had a belief changing psychedelic experience. Participants rated their agreement with belief statements Before and After the psychedelic experience as well as at the time of survey administration. RESULTS Factor analysis of 45 belief statements revealed five factors: "Dualism," "Paranormal/Spirituality," "Non-mammal consciousness," "Mammal consciousness," and "Superstition." Medium to large effect sizes from Before to After the experience were observed for increases in beliefs in "Dualism" (β = 0.72), "Paranormal/Spirituality" (β = 0.90), "Non-mammal consciousness" (β = 0.72), and "Mammal consciousness" (β = 0.74). In contrast, negligible changes were observed for "Superstition" (β = -0.18).). At the individual item level, increases in non-physicalist beliefs included belief in reincarnation, communication with the dead, existence of consciousness after death, telepathy, and consciousness of inanimate natural objects (e.g., rocks). The percentage of participants who identified as a "Believer (e.g., in Ultimate Reality, Higher Power, and/or God, etc.)" increased from 29% Before to 59% After." At both the factor and individual item level, higher ratings of mystical experience were associated with greater changes in beliefs. Belief changes assessed after the experience (an average 8.4 years) remained largely unchanged at the time of survey. CONCLUSIONS A single psychedelic experience increased a range of non-physicalist beliefs as well as beliefs about consciousness, meaning, and purpose. Further, the magnitude of belief change is associated with qualitative features of the experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep M Nayak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Manvir Singh
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, University of Toulouse 1 Capitole, Toulouse, Occitanie, France
| | - David B Yaden
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roland R Griffiths
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Nayak SM, Griffiths RR. A Single Belief-Changing Psychedelic Experience Is Associated With Increased Attribution of Consciousness to Living and Non-living Entities. Front Psychol 2022; 13:852248. [PMID: 35418909 PMCID: PMC8995647 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.852248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although the topic of consciousness is both mysterious and controversial, psychedelic drugs are popularly believed to provide unique insights into the nature of consciousness despite a lack of empirical evidence. Methods This study addresses the question of whether psychedelics change the attribution of consciousness to a range of living and non-living entities. A survey was conducted in 1,606 respondents who endorsed a belief changing psychedelic experience. Results Participants rated their attributions of consciousness to a range of living and non-living entities before and after their psychedelic experience. Superstitious beliefs and belief in freewill were also assessed. From before the experience to after, there were large increases in attribution of consciousness to various entities including non-human primates (63-83%), quadrupeds (59-79%), insects (33-57%), fungi (21-56%), plants (26-61%), inanimate natural objects (8-26%), and inanimate manmade objects (3-15%). Higher ratings of mystical experience were associated with greater increases in the attribution of consciousness. Moreover, the increased attributions of consciousness did not decrease in those who completed the survey years after the psychedelic experience. In contrast to attributions of consciousness, beliefs in freewill and superstitions did not change. Notably, all findings were similar when restricted to individuals reporting on their first psychedelic experience. Discussion This study demonstrates that, among people who reported belief-changing psychedelic experiences, attribution of consciousness to various entities increases. Future prospective psychedelic drug administration studies that control for expectancies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep M. Nayak
- Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roland R. Griffiths
- Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Jacobsen SC, Speth NR, Xiong M, Herth MM, Kristensen JL, Palner M, Janfelt C. Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Cimbi-36, a 5-HT 2A Receptor Agonist, with Direct Comparison to Autoradiography and Positron Emission Tomography. Mol Imaging Biol 2021; 23:676-685. [PMID: 33651266 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-021-01592-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study demonstrates the use of Desorption Electrospray Ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) for imaging of the PET tracer compound Cimbi-36 in brain tissue and compares imaging by DESI-MSI to imaging by autoradiography and PET. PROCEDURES Rats were dosed intraperitoneally with 3 mg/kg of Cimbi-36 and euthanized at t = 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min post-injection. The brains were removed, frozen and sectioned, and sagittal sections were imaged by DESI-MSI in positive ion mode. Additionally, brain sections from a non-dosed animal were incubated with 14C-labelled Cimbi-36 and imaged by autoradiography. Finally, PET images were acquired from an animal dosed with 11C-labelled Cimbi-36. RESULTS DESI-MSI and autoradiography images of a sagittal brain sections showed similar distributions of Cimbi-36, with increased abundance in the frontal cortex and choroid plexus, regions which are high in 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors. The PET image also showed increased abundance in cortex, but the spatial resolution was clearly inferior to DESI-MSI and autoradiography. The DESI-MSI results showed increased abundance of Cimbi-36 in brain tissue until 15 min, after which the abundance was declining. The PET-tracer was still clearly detectable at t = 120 min. Similar imaging of the kidneys showed the abundance of Cimbi-36 peaking at 30 min. Cimbi-36 was quantified in a t = 15 min brain section by quantitative DESI-MSI, resulting in tissue concentrations of 19.8 μg/g in cortex, 15.4 μg/g in cerebellum and 12.5 μg/g in whole brain. CONCLUSIONS DESI imaging from an in vivo dosing experiment showed distribution of the PET tracer remarkably similar to what was obtained by autoradiography of an in vitro incubation experiment, indicating that the obtained results represent actual binding to certain receptors in the brain. DESI-MSI is suggested as a cost-effective screening tool, which does not rely on labelling of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie C Jacobsen
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nikolaj R Speth
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mengfei Xiong
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthias M Herth
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesper L Kristensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mikael Palner
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Janfelt
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Fitzpatrick CM, Maric VS, Bate ST, Andreasen JT. Influence of intertrial interval on basal and drug-induced impulsive action in the 5-choice serial reaction time task: Effects of d-amphetamine and (±)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI). Neurosci Lett 2017; 662:351-355. [PMID: 29102783 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.10.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Impulsivity is a characteristic of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) is a rodent paradigm extensively used to assess attention and impulsivity. Notably, 5-CSRTT studies do not typically account for the reduction in premature responding, the measure of impulsive action, occurring upon repeated exposure to test sessions with long or variable intertrial intervals (ITIs). This present 5-CSRTT study investigated the use of variable ITIs (5, 10 or 15s) across 15 test days (4 training days followed by 1 drug test day per week for three weeks) as previous experience had shown that 4 training days would be sufficient to induce consistent premature response levels in male C57BL/6J mice. Once a steady state was achieved, the effects of dextroamphetamine (AMPH) and (±)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) were then assessed using a Latin-square design to determine whether pharmacological-induced impulsive actions depended on ITI length. Mice habituated to the variable ITI schedule after only 3days and showed consistently lower premature response levels until the end of the study. AMPH (p<0.05) and DOI (p<0.05) increased the percentage of premature responses at 15s ITI trials, while only DOI (p<0.05) increased impulsive action at 10s ITI trials. Additionally, DOI increased omission rates (p<0.001), mean correct latency (p<0.01), reward collection latency (p<0.001), and reduced the total attempted trials (p<0.001). In summary, we demonstrated that mice habituate to the variable ITI schedule, suggesting that using the variable ITI schedule during training allowed premature response rates to stabilize before commencing pharmacological testing. Moreover, in these habituated mice AMPH and DOI significantly enhanced impulsive action at the long ITI trials only. We propose that experimental design considerations can improve the sensitivity of the 5-CSRTT to detect pharmacologicallyinduced impulsive action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciaràn M Fitzpatrick
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Simon T Bate
- Statistical Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Jesper T Andreasen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Arantes LC, Júnior EF, de Souza LF, Cardoso AC, Alcântara TLF, Lião LM, Machado Y, Lordeiro RA, Neto JC, Andrade AFB. 25I-NBOH: a new potent serotonin 5-HT 2A receptor agonist identified in blotter paper seizures in Brazil. Forensic Toxicol 2017; 35:408-414. [PMID: 28706567 PMCID: PMC5486617 DOI: 10.1007/s11419-017-0357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A new potent serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist was identified in blotter papers by several state level forensic laboratories in Brazil. The 25I-NBOH is a labile molecule, which fragments into 2C-I when analyzed by routine seized material screening gas chromatography (GC) methods. GC-mass spectrometry (MS), liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-MS, and Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses were performed to complete molecular characterization. Individual doses range from 300 to 1000 μg. Despite its being a potent 5-HT2A receptor agonist, 25I-NBOH is neither registered in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) nor classified as a scheduled substance in most countries. Sweden and Brazil seem to be the only countries to control 25I-NBOH. To our knowledge, this is the first scientific report dealing with identification of 25I-NBOH in actual seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano Chaves Arantes
- Instituto de Criminalística, Polícia Civil Do Distrito Federal, SPO, Lote 23, Bloco E, Brasília, DF 70610-200 Brazil
| | - Ettore Ferrari Júnior
- Instituto de Criminalística, Polícia Civil Do Distrito Federal, SPO, Lote 23, Bloco E, Brasília, DF 70610-200 Brazil
| | - Luciano Figueiredo de Souza
- Instituto de Criminalística Leonardo Rodrigues, Superintendência da Polícia Técnico-Científica do Estado de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74425-030 Brazil.,Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO 74001-970 Brazil
| | - Andriele Costa Cardoso
- Instituto de Criminalística Leonardo Rodrigues, Superintendência da Polícia Técnico-Científica do Estado de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74425-030 Brazil
| | - Thaynara Lino Fernandes Alcântara
- Instituto de Criminalística Leonardo Rodrigues, Superintendência da Polícia Técnico-Científica do Estado de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74425-030 Brazil
| | - Luciano Morais Lião
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO 74001-970 Brazil
| | - Yuri Machado
- Divisão de Laboratório, Instituto de Criminalística da Polícia Civil de Minas Gerais, Rua Juiz de Fora, 400, Belo Horizonte, MG 30180-060 Brazil
| | - Rogério Araújo Lordeiro
- Divisão de Laboratório, Instituto de Criminalística da Polícia Civil de Minas Gerais, Rua Juiz de Fora, 400, Belo Horizonte, MG 30180-060 Brazil
| | - José Coelho Neto
- Divisão de Laboratório, Instituto de Criminalística da Polícia Civil de Minas Gerais, Rua Juiz de Fora, 400, Belo Horizonte, MG 30180-060 Brazil.,Departamento de Física e Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Avenida Dom José Gaspar, 500, Belo Horizonte, MG 30535-901 Brazil
| | - Ana Flávia B Andrade
- Instituto de Criminalística, Polícia Civil Do Distrito Federal, SPO, Lote 23, Bloco E, Brasília, DF 70610-200 Brazil.,School of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS UK
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