Some research has found MDMA to increase neuroplasticity (i.e., the growth of new neural connections in the brain) by way of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Psychedelic substances refer to a class of psychoactive substances, which can induce strong changes in how we see the world, both through our psychology and sensory perception.

“So, let us just say we all ended up having an informal conversation about all things psychedelic and tried to weave in insights from the book where we could. This made for a very pleasant a warm atmosphere by the second half of the night.”

Historically, there seems to have been a bias against mysticism in psychiatry and psychology. Traditionally, the mental health field has tended to view mystical states as symptoms of mental illness, rather than paths to mental wellness.

For some, psychedelic or other mystical experiences can unsettle our confidence that reality is as it seems. I’m not here to say that the alternate realities or higher dimensions people perceive during psychedelic experiences actually exist or not. But I am going to argue that there is an important sense in which it doesn’t matter.