Top Tweets for #PsychedelicTwitter

Guy Fincham, PhD

@breath_Guy

6 months ago

Papers like this that spark much dialogue & conversation makes this place feel like #PsychedelicTwitter again. Bravo!

Balázs Szigeti @psybalazs

6 months ago

🚨MAJOR NEW PAPER 🚨 just out in @JAMAPsych : Psychedelic Therapy vs Antidepressants for the Treatment of Depression Under Equal Unblinding Conditions (https://t.co/ignU35Eb2t). I am very proud of this one, was a lot of work for me - both co-first and last author! Eternal gratitude to co-first @QuantPsychiatry and twitterless Hannah Barnett! The premise is that it is biased to compare open-label trials (=where patients know what treatment they are getting) to blind trials (=where patients do NOT know what they are getting). Open-label trials would gain an unfair advantage by higher placebo response. Even formally blinded psychedelic trials are practically open-label as its obvious to distinguish placebo from 25mg of #psilocybin. In contrast, traditional antidepressants (SSRIs/SNRIs) trials are are close to be truly blind (Lin 2022). Given the bias of open-label vs. blinded comparison, we compared the efficacy of psychedelic-therapy (which is practically always open-label) vs. open-label antidepressants for the treatment of major depression. We tested 3 prior hypothesis: - There will be a significant difference between psychedelic-therapy vs. open-label antidepressants, favoring psychedelic-therapy. - There will be a significant difference between blinded and open-label antidepressants trials, favoring open-label. - There will NOT be a significant difference between blinded and open-label psychedelic-therapy, as practically they are always open-label. In contrast with our prior hypothesis, we did not find psychedelic-therapy to be more effective than open-label antidepressants (H1). Not only was the difference not clinically meaningful, but practically there was no difference at all. This finding means that antidepressants administered knowingly to patients, which is the case in real-life medical practice, is as effective as psychedelic-therapy. This result was robust across variations in study selection, including when we removed psychedelic-therapy trials on treatment-resistant depression. We also assessed the impact of blinding in both psychedelic-therapy and antidepressants trials. We found that for antidepressants (H2), but not for psychedelic-therapy (H3), open label is associated with better outcomes than blinded treatment. However, even in the case of antidepressants, the difference was practically small (~1.3 HAMD units). How come hypothesis 1 failed, i.e. that psychedelic-therapy is no ore effective than open-label antidepressants, given that antidepressants trials are famous for small drug-placebo difference (~2.4 HAMD units), while psychedelic-therapy trials reported large effects (~7.3)? The key factor is that in psychedelic trials the placebo response is about 50% relative to antidepressants, ~ 4 vs 8 HAMD units (Hsu 2024, Hieronymus 2025). This suppressed placebo response leads to an inflated between-arm difference, as the treatment arm is measured against a lower floor. The suppressed placebo response in psychedelic-therapy trials is likely attributable to the ‘know-cebo’ effect, i.e. the disappointment when patients realize they are in the control group. In psychedelic-therapy trials, this placebo suppression accounts for 4.0 / 7.3 ~ 55% of the specific treatment effect. In other words, ~55% of psychedelic-therapy’s effect is not explained by patient improvement after the treatment, but rather by the lack of improvement in the placebo group. In summary, we found that for the treatment of depression, psychedelic-therapy is no more effective than open-label SSRIs/SNRIs. Our results for psychedelics are twofold: psychedelic-therapy demonstrated a robust and large therapeutic effects (~12 HAMD units), which justifies optimism. On the other hand, psychedelic-therapy’s lack of superiority compared to open-label SSRIs/SNRIs highlights the influence of blinding integrity and argues against overly optimistic narrative's about psychedelic-therapy's potential.

psybalazs's tweet photo. 🚨MAJOR NEW PAPER 🚨 just out in @JAMAPsych : Psychedelic Therapy vs Antidepressants for the Treatment of Depression Under Equal Unblinding Conditions (https://t.co/ignU35Eb2t).
I am very proud of this one, was a lot of work for me - both co-first and last author! Eternal gratitude to co-first @QuantPsychiatry and twitterless Hannah Barnett!

The premise is that it is biased to compare open-label trials (=where patients know what treatment they are getting) to blind trials (=where patients do NOT know what they are getting). Open-label trials would gain an unfair advantage by higher placebo response. Even formally blinded psychedelic trials are practically open-label as its obvious to distinguish placebo from 25mg of #psilocybin. In contrast, traditional antidepressants (SSRIs/SNRIs) trials are are close to be truly blind (Lin 2022). Given the bias of open-label vs. blinded comparison, we compared the efficacy of psychedelic-therapy (which is practically always open-label) vs. open-label antidepressants for the treatment of major depression.

We tested 3 prior hypothesis:
- There will be a significant difference between psychedelic-therapy vs. open-label antidepressants, favoring psychedelic-therapy.
- There will be a significant difference between blinded and open-label antidepressants trials, favoring open-label.
- There will NOT be a significant difference between blinded and open-label psychedelic-therapy, as practically they are always open-label.

In contrast with our prior hypothesis, we did not find psychedelic-therapy to be more effective than open-label antidepressants (H1). Not only was the difference not clinically meaningful, but practically there was no difference at all. This finding means that antidepressants administered knowingly to patients, which is the case in real-life medical practice, is as effective as psychedelic-therapy. This result was robust across variations in study selection, including when we removed psychedelic-therapy trials on treatment-resistant depression.

We also assessed the impact of blinding in both psychedelic-therapy and antidepressants trials. We found that for antidepressants (H2), but not for psychedelic-therapy (H3), open label is associated with better outcomes than blinded treatment. However, even in the case of antidepressants, the difference was practically small (~1.3 HAMD units).

How come hypothesis 1 failed, i.e. that psychedelic-therapy is no ore effective than open-label antidepressants, given that antidepressants trials are famous for small drug-placebo difference (~2.4 HAMD units), while psychedelic-therapy trials reported large effects (~7.3)? The key factor is that in psychedelic trials the placebo response is about 50% relative to antidepressants, ~ 4 vs 8 HAMD units (Hsu 2024, Hieronymus 2025). This suppressed placebo response leads to an inflated between-arm difference, as the treatment arm is measured against a lower floor.

The suppressed placebo response in psychedelic-therapy trials is likely attributable to the ‘know-cebo’ effect, i.e. the disappointment when patients realize they are in the control group. In psychedelic-therapy trials, this placebo suppression accounts for 4.0 / 7.3 ~ 55% of the specific treatment effect. In other words, ~55% of psychedelic-therapy’s effect is not explained by patient improvement after the treatment, but rather by the lack of improvement in the placebo group.

In summary, we found that for the treatment of depression, psychedelic-therapy is no more effective than open-label SSRIs/SNRIs. Our results for psychedelics are twofold: psychedelic-therapy demonstrated a robust and large therapeutic effects (~12 HAMD units), which justifies optimism. On the other hand, psychedelic-therapy’s lack of superiority compared to open-label SSRIs/SNRIs highlights the influence of blinding integrity and argues against overly optimistic narrative's about psychedelic-therapy's potential.

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Chad Atkins

@ChadAtkins2341

over 1 year ago

Think outside the 5th dimension. #ufox #terrancemckenna #psychedelictwitter https://t.co/BE4aAN5IQg

174

Guy Fincham, PhD

@breath_Guy

about 3 years ago

Would love the thoughts of #PsychedelicTwitter (#PsychedelicX ?) on this #breathwork paper "Effects of conscious connected breathing on cortical brain activity, mood and state of consciousness in healthy adults":https://t.co/N8wfZQly0R

456

Claire @itsclairej

over 3 years ago

Dear #PsychedelicTwitter – I'm a student a part of the Synthesis Institute, which is suddenly going bankrupt & silent, leaving 200+ students in the hands of their payment processor. DM me if you want to chat.

Neşe Devenot, PhD 🍉 (@NeseLSD.bsky.social) @NeseLSD

over 3 years ago

Question for #PsychedelicTwitter: Does anyone know of any sources where Rick Doblin of MAPS elaborates on what he means by "mass mental health" or "net-zero trauma"? He uses these slogans a lot, but no one seems to ask what he means or what that looks like in practical terms.

11K

Kabir Nigam @KBNigam

about 4 years ago

While this @nyulangone study is awesome, the effect size must be put into the context that >90% were able to tell that they received diphenhydramine over psilocybin #psychedelics #psychedelictwitter #psychedelicscience https://t.co/tgzlrQrOn9

Professor Psych @PSYCHONAUTS_UTL

about 4 years ago

#psychedelicArt #psychedelic #psychedelicTwitter #art #originals #sethrogan

Psychedelic Science

@PsychedelicSci

about 4 years ago

Calling all #Psychonauts 🤩 in the global psychedelic community! There is a growing need for more #psychedelic therapists, and we invite aspiring therapists to join us at #PsychedelicScience2023! #LittleMiss #PsychedelicTwitter https://t.co/qCekwmxVhL

PsychedelicSci's tweet photo. Calling all #Psychonauts 🤩 in the global psychedelic community!

There is a growing need for more #psychedelic therapists, and we invite aspiring therapists to join us at #PsychedelicScience2023!

#LittleMiss #PsychedelicTwitter
https://t.co/qCekwmxVhL https://t.co/aoxEvVdByA

the april fool @foolinfaries

almost 6 years ago

looked to the left halfway thru my smoke sesh and legit thought for a second I was tripping on LSD lol. The sun + smoke combo did some cool patterns that I feel I’ve def seen in a trip before 😂 #420twitter #psychedelictwitter

神経色

@neurocolor

over 6 years ago

L y n x e r b e r u s The guardian of the 5th Dimension Demon Gates. Unique 1/1 #NFT exclusive for @KnownOrigin_io BID / BUY: https://t.co/WIjFsKgeqa #RareDigitalArt #CryptoArt #DigitalCollectible #PsychedelicTwitter $ETH #Ethereum

107

Richard D. Bartlett

@RichDecibels

almost 8 years ago

Me, tripping on mushrooms, looking in the mirror: I love that beautiful man. Also me: I could have all the self-love in the world but my life is nothing without my relationships. #psychedelictwitter #mundane #profound

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