The ways any psychedelic interacts with the brain is a major area of ongoing research. Needless to say, there is much we don’t know and new information emerges rapidly as more and more mechanism of action studies take place.
Integration and its impact on the brain itself is certainly an area where more research is needed. However, there are a few interesting ideas in the research literature that we think psychonauts may want to engage with.
- Your brain may need the “trip” to experience benefit/changes. Although research into this area is still very early, early results may indicate that simply ingesting a psychedelic experience (for example while unconscious under anesthesia) does not produce the benefits associated with psychedelic experiences that involve conscious experience.
- Brain impacts may persist after psychedelic experiences. Many researchers are seeking to clarify the details of how various psychedelics function in the brain. One study found that some impacts of psilocybin, including resting state functional connectivity, persisted a week and even a month after the drug experience. It is interesting to consider how this type of lasting impact may relate to the experiences psychonauts associate with integration.
- Meaningful and mystical experiences have been associated with increased measures of brain entropy. When you look back and work on integrating your psychedelic experiences you may find it interesting to consider the ways in which research is beginning to connect these experiences to brain entropy, the default mode network, and other aspects of brain connectivity.
If you are interested in how psychedelics work in the brain, we highly recommend Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris’s talk from Psychedelic Science 2023, available on The Virtual Trip. The MAPS bookstore also includes a variety of books that discuss neuroscience, the brain, and related topics. Additionally, Psychedelic Fundamentals includes a module on the basics of the current state of psychedelic brain science research.
