The Bloom #169 Free Edition slowing down

Another year full of groundbreaking research has passed us by.

I've added 205 new research articles to the database. They cover everything from data on new experiments in clinical settings to observational studies deep in the Amazon forest.

In the 2024 link overview, I've captured another ~1500 studies showing just how active the psychedelic research field has become. Just for reference, when I started covering the research, I might see only 20 to 30 articles being published each month, with no more than five being added to the database.

For this calendar year, I've changed the link overview to include the articles that will be added to the database and will showcase them based on the month they are published. You can already find 41 studies linked and summarized in one sentence.

Looking back at just the final month of 2024, I discuss the new trials, re-analyses, reviews, and real-world implementations of psychedelics in the December recap.

Here is to another year of productive research!

Floris - Founder of Blossom

ps Ciara Reynolds at Alef Trust is conducting research on exceptional experiences with psychedelics and music, investigating their effects on wellbeing and connection. If you are 18+ and have experience with substances like MDMA, cannabis, psilocybin, or LSD, you can take this anonymous 10-minute survey here.

​

Latest Psychedelic Research

1 The role of the psychedelic experience in psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression​

This re-analysis of the COMPASS Phase IIb trial (n=233) investigates the relationships between psilocybin dose, psychedelic experiences, and therapeutic outcomes in treatment-resistant depression. Participants received a single dose of 25, 10, or 1 mg of psilocybin (COMP360) with psychological support. Higher doses produced stronger psychedelic effects, and reductions in depression (MADRS scores) at Week 3 correlated most strongly with dimensions of Oceanic Boundlessness (r = −0.508), Visual Restructuralization (r = −0.516), and Emotional Breakthrough Inventory (r = −0.637). Findings suggest the quality and intensity of psychedelic experiences mediate therapeutic outcomes and support dose-response mechanisms.

2 Time-resolved neural and experience dynamics of medium- and high-dose DMT​

This repeated-measures dose-dependent study (n=19) investigates DMT's subjective and neural dynamics under naturalistic conditions. Participants received 20mg or 40mg doses of freebase DMT in a blinded, counterbalanced design, with EEG data and time-resolved subjective measures collected. The 40mg dose produced more intense visual hallucinations and emotional responses. Neural analyses revealed alpha power and permutation entropy were most associated with subjective experiences, whereas lempel-ziv complexity was less predictive, challenging prior assumptions about its role in psychedelic states.

Also see: DMT micro-phenomenology​

3 An investigation of acute Physiological and Psychological Moderators of Psychedelic-induced Personality Change among Healthy Volunteers​

This re-analysis of a single-blind, fixed-order trial (n=28) investigates the effects of a single high-dose psilocybin (25 mg) on personality traits in psychedelic-naïve healthy volunteers. It finds significant reductions in neuroticism one month post-administration, moderated by subjective experience meaningfulness and ego dissolution, suggesting psilocybin catalyses lasting personality changes with therapeutic potential.

More Research

• ​Psilocybin increases emotional empathy in patients with major depression​

Summaries of new research published in January will follow soon.

New on Blossom

1 Psychedelic Research Recap December 2024​

December saw a noticeable slowdown in new psychedelic research publications, with 14 studies added to the Blossom database compared to the monthly average of 20. This seasonal dip is not uncommon, as research efforts often wind down toward the end of the year.

This month’s recap covers key research across several categories. Clinical studies were prominent in examining psilocybin therapy for healthcare workers, the safety profile of 3-MMC, and the therapeutic potential of intravenous DMT. Re-analyses of earlier clinical data provided deeper insights into esketamine’s efficacy compared to quetiapine, the link between psilocybin-induced experiences and depression outcomes, and the personality changes facilitated by psilocybin therapy. Reviews tackled broader themes, including the variability in reporting standards for psychedelic-assisted therapy, the neural and pharmacological effects of psychedelics, and healthcare workers’ attitudes toward their clinical application.

Finally, broader perspectives addressed the practical challenges of establishing psychedelic research programs and the regulatory shift in Australia allowing psilocybin and MDMA for specific conditions. Together, these studies and discussions reflect the growing maturity of psychedelic science while underlining the need for standardization, broader education, and global collaboration to maximise its therapeutic impact.

2 Psychedelic Research Links 2024​

All the other papers that have come out this year that don't have a separate entry in the database.

3 Psychedelic Research Links 2025​

A comprehensive overview of all psychedelic research that has come out this year. We cover the research per month and provide a one-sentence summary for each new publication. After the full summary is added, a link to Blossom's review is added to papers included in our database.

Spotlight

no spotlight this week.

Molenvaart 76, Anna Paulowna, NH 1761AL
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​