A 2026 RAND survey study estimates that approximately 4.8 million U.S. veterans have used psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, or MDMA. About half of those veterans reported uncertainty about whether telling a VA provider would put their benefits at risk. The findings are from a survey, not a clinical trial. Key takeaways Prevalence is substantial: Roughly 27.5% […]
A South China Morning Post feature reports that a growing number of people are taking sub-perceptual doses of psilocybin mushrooms or LSD to try to ease anxiety, stress, and depression. At least one small study cited in the piece suggests any benefits may stem largely from users’ expectations, not the substance itself. The research is […]
New research published in June 2026 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers one of the clearest mechanistic pictures yet of what several psychedelic compounds have in common inside the brain. Using optical flow analysis, a technique that tracks the direction and strength of neural signal movement across the cortex, scientists from […]
A study published in May 2026 in PubMed presents findings on how the brain’s electrical wave patterns propagate differently under psychedelic compounds compared to other altered states. Using data across psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and ketamine, as well as sleep and anesthesia, researchers identified novel spatiotemporal neural mechanisms that appear specific to psychedelic consciousness, suggesting these […]