Psychopharmacology

Psychedelics and connectedness

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Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Haijen, E. C. H. M., Kaelen, M.

This commentary paper (2017) proposes that connectedness is the key to its therapeutic potential.

Abstract

Psychedelic drugs are creating ripples in psychiatry as evidence accumulates of their therapeutic potential. An important question remains unresolved however: how are psychedelics effective? We propose that a sense of connectedness is key, provide some preliminary evidence to support this, and suggest a roadmap for testing it further.