The Bloom #178 Free Edition geolocating the hivemind

The biggest psychedelic survey is running again this year.

Adults 21+ from across the globe have the opportunity to participate in the most comprehensive assessment of psychedelic use amongst adults to date. Share your experiences by completing the Global Psychedelic Survey 2025 (GPS 2025). The survey will be available around the globe in 18 different languages.

Please take the survey before May 16th.

Floris - Founder of Blossom

ps This Thursday, on May 15th, Psychedelics Design will host the first Psychedelics Design Awards. It's going to be an inspiring event featuring great speakers and the one and only Dennis Walker as host. Check it out and get tickets here, use code BLOSSOM30 for a 30% discount.

pps See the full recap of April's psychedelic research here.

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Latest Psychedelic Research

1 Safety and Efficacy with Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: Long-Term Extension Study​

This Phase III open-label extension study (n=1148) evaluates the long-term safety and efficacy of esketamine nasal spray combined with oral antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients who previously participated in other Phase III trials. The study involved flexible dosing of intranasal esketamine (twice-weekly during induction, then weekly to monthly during maintenance) with direct staff supervision, with participants either entering through a 4-week induction phase (n=458) or directly into maintenance (n=690) based on their previous response.

2 Self-compassion mediates treatment effects in MDMA-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder​

This secondary analysis (n=82) of a Phase III RCT of MDMA-assisted therapy found significant improvements in both uncompassionate self-responding and compassionate self-responding across all six Self-Compassion Scale subscales, most with large effect sizes. Changes in self-compassion fully mediated the reductions in PTSD severity and depressive symptoms observed with MDMA-AT versus placebo plus therapy, though no significant effects were seen for alcohol or substance use outcomes.

3 Reduced Brain Responsiveness to Emotional Stimuli With Escitalopram But Not Psilocybin Therapy for Depression​

This secondary analysis of an RCT (n=59) investigates the impact of psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) and escitalopram (SSRI) on responsiveness to emotional stimuli in patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder over a 6-week trial period. Responses to emotional faces were reduced in the SSRI group, not the psilocybin group at the follow-up.

More Research

• ​Negative Affect Circuit Subtypes and Neural, Behavioral, and Affective Responses to MDMA: A Randomized Clinical Trial​
• ​Ayahuasca-Inspired DMT/HAR Formulation Reduces Brain Differentiation Between Self and Other Faces​

New on Blossom

1 Psychedelic Landscape – Request for Feedback​

For the past six years, Blossom has tracked all psychedelic research and distilled the findings for researchers, clinicians and the curious. Along the way, we noticed a glaring gap: knowing what the science says is only half the story—understanding who can turn that science into real-world impact is the other half. Today, we are closing that gap with the first public draft of our Psychedelic Landscape Map.

Please review it on the site and send me your feedback.

2 Psychedelic Research Recap April​

Researchers found an ayahuasca-inspired DMT-harmine combination blurs neural boundaries between self and others' faces, potentially explaining benefits for social anxiety and depression. LSD-induced ego dissolution involves increased connectivity between prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and visual areas.

Survivors of terrorist attacks who used psychedelics reported lower anxiety and PTSD symptoms weeks later, suggesting potential protective effects. A study on hallucinogen persisting perception disorder found mild visual disturbances common but rarely distressing, with youth, female gender, and psychiatric history increasing risk. Psilocybin use continues rising in the US, especially among older adults.

In preclinical studies, a multi-lab mouse experiment showed psilocybin produces acute anxiety behaviors but questioned lasting therapeutic effects, while another study identified specific neurons and receptors essential for psilocybin's anti-stress effects.

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 the papers included in our database.
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Spotlight

1 Psychedelics Design Awards (Event)

The Psychedelics Design Awards, scheduled for May 15, 2025, will bring together pioneers exploring the intersection of psychedelics, design, and social impact. This inaugural online event will showcase projects that leverage altered states of consciousness for creative problem-solving, harm reduction initiatives, and regenerative future planning. The half-day ceremony will feature thought leaders from organizations including the Center for MINDS, Zendo Project, MAPS, Wavepaths, and Psychedelics Today.

Panel discussions will explore several critical areas, including responsible approaches to harm reduction, the therapeutic role of music during psychedelic experiences, novel approaches to creativity, and design principles for ecological sustainability. The event will begin with opening remarks from Dr. Bruce Damer, co-founder of MINDS and researcher at UC Santa Cruz, offering scientific context for the innovative work being recognized across seven award categories covering architectural design, experimental concepts, and audio experiences.

Among the notable presenters are Chelsea Rose Pires and Jessa Hurst from Zendo Project discussing compassionate care strategies, Mendel Kaelen of Wavepaths exploring music in therapeutic settings, and Joe Moore from Psychedelics Today examining how design might contribute to ecological healing.

Learn more and attend the event with code BLOSSOM30:
​https://www.psychedelics.design/psychedelics-design-online-awards-ceremony​

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