The Science of Psychedelics for Mental Health | Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris

A program and sponsor that uses continuous glucose monitors to provide real-time feedback on how different foods affect blood glucose levels, helping to even out energy levels.

Sponsor of the podcast that makes smart mattress covers with cooling, heating, and sleep tracking capacity. Andrew Huberman uses their product to optimize his sleep.

A vitamin, mineral, and probiotic drink, sponsor of the podcast, taken by Andrew Huberman for gut health and foundational nutritional needs since 2012.

An electrolyte drink (sodium, magnesium, potassium) with no sugar, a sponsor of the podcast, used by Andrew Huberman for hydration and nerve cell function, especially around physical training and sauna use.

A company currently conducting multi-site Phase III trials for psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression, with earliest estimates for licensing around 2026.

A device used by Levels to track blood glucose levels in real-time and assess the impact of different foods and activities.

A publication that recently dedicated an entire issue to psychedelics, discussing ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin, indicating a shift in mainstream perception.

Academic institution where Dr. Carhart-Harris is planning a trial with a colleague on methamphetamine use disorder and where other trials on Parkinson's disease, chronic lower back pain, and bipolar disorder are ongoing.

Academic institution where Dr. Carhart-Harris is a distinguished professor.

Academic institution where Dr. Carhart-Harris's former colleagues conducted a creative self-blinding microdosing study.

The regulatory body in the US responsible for licensing psychedelics as medicines. They mandate specific post-dose observation periods in trials and question training requirements for prescribers.

A non-profit research and educational organization that has led Phase III trials for MDMA therapy for PTSD, demonstrating remarkable remission rates and anticipating rollout for therapeutic use as early as next year.

A group conducting trials in Mexico, in conjunction with Stanford and other labs, evaluating neural changes from ibogaine and DMT for veterans dealing with trauma and other issues.

Research institution where Dr. Satchin Panda, a colleague of Andrew Huberman, conducted his pioneering work on intermittent fasting.

A researcher in Zurich, Switzerland, who conducted early psilocybin work, establishing a precedent for subsequent studies.

Host of the Huberman Lab podcast and professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine.

A British psychiatrist living in Canada credited with coining the term 'psychedelic' in 1956, defining it as 'psyche-revealing'.

A British writer also living in the US who corresponded with Humphry Osmond, playing with terms to refer to psychedelic compounds.

One of the popularizers of microdosing, who suggests a true microdose should be sub-perceptible and taken semi-regularly to improve well-being and creative thinking.

A Hungarian researcher at Imperial College London who led a citizen science study on microdosing, where participants self-blinded and found that microdosing didn't compellingly beat a placebo, suggesting expectancy was a major factor.

Mycologist and advocate for fungi, mentioned as someone who would likely have better information on the psilocybin content in magic mushrooms.

Guest on the podcast, distinguished professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and leading researcher in psychedelics. His lab studies how psilocybin changes neural circuitry and conducts clinical trials for major depression, anorexia, and fibromyalgia.

A student working on a PhD who is characterizing the different phases of the psychedelic experience, noting an early phase dominated by negative emotions and a later, different story.

Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor, and author of 'Man's Search for Meaning', who talked about the space between stimulus and reaction.

A key figure in psilocybin research at Johns Hopkins, whose work provided a precedent for other labs, including Dr. Carhart-Harris's, to conduct similar studies.

A colleague of Andrew Huberman from the Salk Institute who pioneered studies on intermittent fasting, with his research influencing common eating window durations due to practical constraints for scientists.

A psychedelic researcher and guide at Johns Hopkins who mentored Dr. Carhart-Harris's team on guiding methods, known for the phrase 'trust, let go, be open'.

A psychedelic researcher and guide at Johns Hopkins who mentored Dr. Carhart-Harris's team on guiding methods.

A prominent teacher in the Vipassana (insight) meditation tradition, quoted for his saying: 'After the ecstasy, the laundry,' referring to the ongoing work required after profound experiences.

Researcher whose work is contributing to the 'groundswell of activity' in psychedelic studies, including addiction disorders.

Researcher whose work is contributing to the 'groundswell of activity' in psychedelic studies, particularly concerning addiction disorders.

Host of 'The Drive' podcast, whose recent episode highlighted the dangers of fentanyl lacing in street-purchased MDMA and other psychedelics, prompting caution.

Lysergic acid diethylamide, a classic psychedelic sometimes referred to, along with psilocybin and DMT, for its impact on brain changes and mental health.

A compound broadly described as psychedelic-like but, in Dr. Carhart-Harris's view, does not capture the world's attention in the same way as classic psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin due to its different primary action.

A classic psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, which Dr. Carhart-Harris's lab researches for its effects on neural circuitry and its ability to alleviate major depression in clinical trials.

A compound mentioned that is used in treating Parkinson's, but is more of a dopamine agonist rather than a selective serotonin 2A receptor agonist.

A psychedelic drug mentioned as one of the compounds on the bill for a National Academy of Sciences meeting in 1956, alongside LSD, which prompted Osmond to coin 'psychedelic'.

A compound broadly described as psychedelic-like that is an empathogen, making it easier to confront trauma by promoting feelings of safety and trust. It is also being studied in Phase III clinical trials for PTSD and is anticipated for legal rollout for therapeutic use.

An SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), a standard antidepressant, used as a comparative control in a clinical trial against psilocybin therapy for depression. Pre-trial expectancy predicted response to escitalopram, unlike psilocybin.

A class of antidepressants that act by indirectly increasing serotonin levels, compared to direct 5-HT2A agonists. Used as a reference for traditional pharmacotherapy.

A compound pharmacologically and subjectively similar to DMT but often described as more reliably inducing ego dissolution and less visual, commonly smoked or vaped in therapeutic and recreational contexts.

A dietary approach known to increase blood ketones, mentioned in the context of Ketone-IQ's benefits even for those not strictly adhering to it.

A specific receptor in the brain that all classic psychedelics work on, serving as a pharmacological definition for these compounds. Its activation is thought to be responsible for increased communication between brain areas and ego dissolution.

The direct stimulation or activation of the serotonin 2A receptor, which is the mechanism of action for classic psychedelics. Scientists are exploring if a therapeutic response can be achieved through this without psychedelic effects, but Dr. Carhart-Harris expresses skepticism.

A neurodegenerative genetic disorder mentioned as an example of a condition for which CRISPR technology could offer exciting therapeutic potential, allowing for the elimination of a family line.

A gene-editing technology mentioned as an example of potential directed gene therapy, offering excitement for conditions like Huntington's disease, highlighting the rapid advancements in medical science.

A substance broadly described as psychedelic-like, but not considered a classic psychedelic.

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, a classic psychedelic that, like LSD and psilocybin, is discussed in terms of its brain-changing effects and potential relation to mental health.

A ketone supplement that increases blood ketones for benefits like extended focus during work or exercise without hunger, even for those not on a ketogenic diet.

A very long-duration psychedelic (22 hours or more) used in trials for veterans, often followed by DMT doses, to address various issues including trauma.

A drug known to cause ego inflation by releasing dopamine, serving as a contrast to psychedelics which cause ego dissolution and affect serotonin.

A prestigious medical journal where Dr. Carhart-Harris's psilocybin therapy versus escitalopram (Lexapro) trial was published in 2022.

Site of psilocybin trials for depression, mentioned as a collaborative institution that mentored Dr. Carhart-Harris's team on guiding methods. Also involved in psilocybin research by Roland Griffiths.

A dense book about the origins of medicine, mentioned by Andrew Huberman as a relevant read on enduring discussions about the mind and self.

A book/film mentioned as a cultural reference to the cliches and stereotypes of the 1980s cocaine culture, where ego inflation and obsession with desires were prevalent.

A neuroimaging technique used in Dr. Carhart-Harris's healthy volunteer study to look at the cabling of the brain, or white matter tracts, revealing anatomical brain changes after psilocybin.

Dr. Peter Attia's podcast, which recently covered the risks of fentanyl contamination in street psychedelics.