How psychedelics work, explained in under 6 minutes | Matthew Johnson

How psychedelics work, explained by Johns Hopkins professor Matthew Johnson.

Up next, Psychedelics: The scientific renaissance of mind-altering drugs

Humans have been consuming psychedelic substances for millennia, but only in the past century have we made significant progress in understanding how they affect the brain and our psychology.

We have learned, for example, that psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT cause psychedelic experiences primarily by affecting a particular type of serotonin receptor, while other drugs like ketamine and PCP primarily affect the glutamate system.

But there remain open questions about how these biological effects contribute to profound psychological changes in people who take psychedelics. One answer seems to center on how the drugs spark communication between different brain regions. What’s more, psychedelics seem to encourage greater neuroplasticity, meaning the brain becomes primed to learn new things in the wake of a psychedelic experience.

Check out this Big Think interview with Matthew Johnson, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University who explains how psychedelics work, and what researchers hope to uncover about the substances in the future.

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About Matthew Johnson:
Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is The Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the world’s most widely published experts on psychedelics. He has published research on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and depression treatment. In 2021 he received as principal investigator the first grant in 50 years from the US government for a treatment study with a classic psychedelic, specifically psilocybin in treatment of tobacco addiction. He is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drug classes. He’s been Interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, Fox News, Fox Business News, BBC and in Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind.

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Read more of our stories on psychedelics:
AI maps psychedelic “trip” experiences to regions of the brain – opening new route to psychiatric treatments
Psychedelic drugs: how to tell good research from bad
Metaphysics and mushrooms: Psychedelics can change how you think about the universe

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[CowenJad]

I can honestly say psychedelic experience was probably one of the most profound and beautiful collection of moments I have ever had.

[Carlos_Rivero]

Psilocybin flipped the off switch on my social anxiety like a light switch. It's effect lasted long enough that I thought it permanent. My anxiety and doubts and lack of self worth was gone. Anything that can make you love yourself should be legal.

[BrieflyCarmel-vwzn]

DMT is a naturally occurring hallucinogenic drug with spiritual and cultural significance in indigenous cultures.

[alanbaker]

Psychedelic mushrooms really healed me years back.
These are great healing compounds! When used in proper context.

[Katejones-onie]

I’ve had a positive experience with mushroom. Trust me it was awesome

[HarryWalsh-yt]

Psychedelics have the ability to induce profound altered states of consciousness.

[CristiandlfDeval]

I could remember several years ago, I was actually diagnosed with cptsd. Also suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. This is something that really need to be use globally to help people with related health challenges.

[misanthrope]

A bad psilocybin trip helped me to stop disliking myself. It was an incredibly interesting and eye opening experience which finally helped me to stop judging and comparing myself to others in the most negative ways.

[greatestofalltime]

Psilocybin containing mushrooms save my life. The drastically reduced my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quite illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would had became medically dangerous to quit

[znkxezk]

Psychedelic therapy is just one of those great leaps in the mental health space. It’s wonderful and the fact they serve recreational use and health as well. Can’t say I don’t trip once in a while.

[RobPendy]

I just tried MUSHROOMS for the first time. I felt as if i was in the center of the universe. I didn't go crazy after such an extreme experience. Totally got rid of depression, anxiety and illicit pill addiction.

[andzejdupa]

I've met psychedelics at 19 and been using them ever since, 3/4 trips per year and occasionally microdosing. They've helped me cure depression completely, I found happiness and peace. With good set&setting I think they can help everyone with their issues, a good intention can change a life and the possibility to intend your future stays in you even when you're sober. Peace and stay strong in this episode of your cosmic journey :3

[Sean_Shaun_Shawn]

Important note: at 2:40 he mentions Psilocybin (active compound in magic mushrooms) but the timing and edit show Amanita Muscaria aka Fly Agaric (of which the active compounds are muscimol and ibotenic acid) which is completely different and commonly mistaken for magic mushrooms- while it CAN be used for hallucinogenic properties it's not recommended and typically not a very pleasant experience. Instead it's more commonly microdosed for anxiety, healthier sleep and more focus and has just started seeing a revolution in terms of understanding and use and also has a long standing traditional use in many communities throughout the world.

It's an important distinction because they work on very different parts of the brain (GABA vs serotonin) and the same mistake has been propagated for the last few decades and thus many people write it off or lump it in as something people just take to trip exactly because of editing or assumption like this.

[anthonywilliams]

I just did a heroic dose and had an experience I forgot I was a human being and keep forgetting I have hands. I was waiting for something to tell me what my purpose was and realized to stop always thinking I have to do something and enjoy life. Absolutely the greatest moment in my life….

[bqrre]

I'll be forever grateful for psychedelics. They helped me "rewire" my brain. Long story short, I got Tourettes syndrome, not in my wildest dream did I thought it was possible to locate what triggers my tics and many reasons behind them. It was like I could use the overheating brain signals to send the tics outside my body and forcing the impulse in the brain to just stay there, almost cooking. But after a while, it was cooling of.
Sounds very easy, takes incredible amount of willpower but LSD, somehow, helped me locate why many of my tics is there. Like went straight into my subconcious and saw it in a way that I didn't knew was possible.
Psychedelics is really incredible.

[JTDawg]

I took psychedelics while actively participating in psychotherapy after getting out of the mental hospital for suicidal thoughts. After 6 years of depression and 2 suicide attempts psychedelics helped give me vital insights into my degrading thought patterns. I had to put in a lot of work integrating these into therapy and real life. Repeating the lessons to myself under my breath over and over everyday. But for the first time ever I can say that I am completely depression and anxiety free and hope to become an entrepreneur in the psychedelic industry to give back what was given to me. I want to cry just thinking about all the lost souls who need help understanding their misery, I know that place and I wanted to get out so bad. I owe my entire life to these substances and my therapist. I am so healthy and capable now, all I want is to be able to give that back to others who were stuck just like me.

[Mike_HuntizWet]

At 19 years old psychedelics completely changed my whole life. How I viewed the world. How I viewed myself and everyone & everything I came upon

[antoniobruce]

I have been micro dosing on the batch of mushrooms I got from one guy online for the last few months for depression and anxiety and the results has been immeasurable. The world has beauty again whereas before it was grey and painful

[jameshook]

Psychedelics are just an exceptional discovery. They are really effective against depression, stress disorders and the likes of other mental health issues. Saved my life

[cheebacheeo]

I did Ibogaine trip 2018 which was life changing experience. I quit smoking, stopped shop lifting, learned time table, didn't do any ONS... And most importantly I got rid of very severe depression - psychotic depression. I also became very self aware, healed from childhood trauma. I also pretty much switched my primary hand from right to left. My creativity increased a lot too. Only thing that didn't change is my physical conditions - ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis and fibromyalgy. And obviously I should be diagnosed with CFS. Oh and I am still alone haven't met anyone whom I could relate with.

I send you my love 🙏❤️