MindShift

The Big Story

Rewiring Brain Plasticity Without Hallucinations. Most psychedelics promote brain plasticity, but not all plasticity-promoting molecules are psychedelics. Last week, scientists explained in Nature Neuroscience how a molecule called tabernanthalog enhances neuroplasticity in mice without causing hallucinations. It works by activating the same brain receptors as LSD or psilocybin, but subtle differences in neurotransmitter interaction and gene activation appear to prevent the hallucinogenic effect.

Tabernanthalog is a synthetic compound derived from the iboga active substance tabernanthine. It belongs to a new class of non-hallucinogenic “psychoplastogens”, a term coined in 2018 by American chemist David E. Olson and ancient languages expert Valentina Popescu. Last year, The Atlantic explored how these molecules could reshape our understanding of psychedelics and the nature of a “trip”. Since then, interest has surged among scientists and pharmaceutical companies, as non-hallucinogenic options may lower risks and simplify clinical research.

Science & Innovation

Beyond neuroplasticity, the efficacy of psychedelics also lies in the experience. Some experts warn that psychedelic science may be losing sight of the bigger picture. They argue that while clinical trials track safety and measure brain plasticity, they often overlook a critical element: the subjective experience of patients. They cite emerging evidence suggesting that, beyond psychedelics’ physiological effects, changes in psychological states, such as self-perception and interpersonal connectedness, also play a central role in their therapeutic benefits.
→ Frontiers in Psychiatry

Boys, girls, and psychedelics. Sex-specific effects of psychedelics remain poorly understood. Even animal studies mostly focus on males! Two new studies underscore this oversight: one showed that ibogaine’s active compound altered brain ion channels in male mice only, while females required a specific receptor to be blocked for the same effect; another found that female mice’s behavioral responses to psilocybin fluctuate with their hormonal cycle, similar to the human menstrual cycle. While very preliminary, these findings suggest that biological sex may shape how psychedelics work, underscoring the need for more inclusive clinical research.
→ Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 
→ Neuropharmacology

Psychedelics meet the microbiome. Trillions of microorganisms live in your intestine. They are both beneficial and linked to a range of conditions, including mental ailments. They may also interact with psychedelics. In an opinion paper, researchers argue that psychedelics can reshape gut bacteria through inflammation and antimicrobial action, while microbes can metabolize these drugs, altering their potency and duration. These interactions could help explain the variation in psychedelic effects between individuals.
→ ACS Chemical Neuroscience

Society & Policy

How the former governor of Texas became a champion for psychedelics. The New York Times featured an in-depth profile of Rick Perry, the 75-year-old conservative and former Texas governor, exploring his surprising transformation into an advocate for psychedelics after his own experience with ibogaine. “It has literally given people their lives back,” he declared at the Psychedelic Science Conference in Denver in June. Perry, who was at the center of Texas’s successful push to fund psychedelic research for veterans, insists he has no financial ties to the industry, describing this cause as “my life’s mission.”
→ New York Times

Lessons from Switzerland. The United States may be the world’s largest and most influential psychedelics market, but Switzerland is its true cradle - at least from a Western perspective. As the birthplace of LSD in the 1940s, Switzerland has legally offered psychedelic-assisted therapies since the late 1980s. In Neuroscience Applied, researchers highlight how the country’s pragmatic approach has enabled over 1,600 patients to access these treatments, all under strict government oversight and rigorous clinician training. It offers a stark contrast to the fragmented and less regulated rollout seen in the Wild West of America. 
→ Neuroscience Applied

The latest updates on the regulation front. The past two weeks have seen some policy shifts in Europe around psychedelic treatments and research.

• Germany - It has become the first EU country to legalize access to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. → Euronews

• United Kingdom - The government supports a new plan to ease barriers to scientific research on Schedule 1 drugs such as psilocybin and MDMA. → Drug Science

• Utah - A judge ruled that Utah County violated religious freedom by targeting a faith group’s psychedelic use. → Utah News Dispatch

Business

The CEO of a psychedelic company reflects on a wild year. In 2024, the industry faced a major setback when the FDA turned down Lykos Therapeutics’ application for MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. A year later, the agency seems to hold psychedelics in favor again, with Robert Kennedy Jr. envisioning their availability within 12 months.  “Does that mean a full approval? Does that mean some sort of framework of early access?” says Kabir Nath, CEO of Compass Pathways, currently testing a synthetic formulation of psilocybin for depression. While he welcomes the new trend, he also shares his concern over adherence to strict FDA processes.
→ Politico

What’s up in the psychedelics global market? It is on the rise, with forecasts valuing the market at $6.39 billion in 2025 - up from $5.56 billion in 2024. North America is expected to drive nearly half of this growth. According to the Investing News Network, U.S. companies are leading the charge, while the regulatory landscape continues to evolve. The report highlights 11 states poised to update their laws in favor of psychedelics and analyzes current developments in a few American companies.
→ Investing News Network

In brief

Is the hype going too far, too fast? Columnist Chris Bennion cuts through “a mushy atmosphere of woo-woo” and calls out the “evangelical” psychedelic lobby in the US. → The Telegraph

Investors bullish after AbbVie deal. AbbVie’s rumored acquisition of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals boosts psychedelic biotech stocks and fuels investor optimism.
→ Biopharma Dive

Taming the fear of death. An upcoming trial will test a psilocybin-like compound for easing the emotional toll of life-threatening diagnoses. → University of New Mexico

Psychedelic false notes. Many won’t trip without a playlist, but a researcher warns music in therapy can disrupt the self-connection central to the experience. → Frontiers in Psychiatry

Want to become a psychedelic facilitator? The University of Colorado Denver is accepting applicants to its 16-week-long program (application deadline September 22). → University of Colorado

A field guide to amanita trips. A mycologist provides directions for those interested in Amanita fungi, known to be psychoactive and, for some species, outright deadly. → Journal of Psychedelic Studies

If you have a little more time

Can psychedelic therapy go mainstream? In NPR’s Sunday Story, host Ayesha Rascoe and science journalist Rachel Carlson explore the world of psychedelics - from their controversial past during the hippie era to their recent resurgence, championed by figures like Robert Kennedy Jr. The 26-minute conversation covers many topics from classic LSD and innovative non-hallucinogenic compounds to the rapid rise of ketamine use among Americans.
→ NPR

Psychedelics and the power of storytelling. Behind every person living with PTSD lies a story - not just of the trauma, but of how they’ve come to see themselves and their struggles. In Colorado, organizations bring together veterans, first responders, and firefighters to share their experiences and use psychedelics to reframe their intimate narratives. As retired Navy SEAL Diego Ugalde advises: “Be very, very conscious of the stories you tell yourself. The thinking mind can create narratives and perspectives about others, and even ourselves, that may not exist.”
→ Colorado Public Radio