The Bloom #183 Free Edition research abundance

The summer is a time to take it a bit slower and let new ideas surface.

Psychedelic researchers clearly didn't get that memo. Last month, 181 new papers were published and 18 (just like in June) new articles have been added to the database (full recap here).

We take a look at control groups in psychedelic trials, MDMA for depression, ibogaine EEG data, and much more below.

Floris - Founder of Blossom

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Latest Psychedelic Research

1 Control Group Outcomes in Trials of Psilocybin, SSRIs, or Esketamine for Depression: A Meta-Analysis​

This meta-analysis of 17 trials (n=4,960) comparing control treatment outcomes across depression studies found that participants receiving control treatments in psilocybin trials showed significantly less improvement than those in SSRI or esketamine trials, with control response rates 14-23% lower, suggesting that psilocybin's reported antidepressant efficacy may be overestimated compared to conventional treatments despite having similar active treatment effects and lower dropout rates.

2 MDMA-assisted therapy as a treatment for major depressive disorder: proof of principle study​

This open-label pilot study (n=12) found that MDMA-assisted therapy (80-120mg; 2x) significantly reduced depression scores (MADRS) by 19.3 points and functional impairment (-11.7) in participants with moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD), with no serious adverse events reported over 8 weeks following treatment.

3 Magnesium–ibogaine therapy effects on cortical oscillations and neural complexity in veterans with traumatic brain injury​

This analysis of an open-label observational study (n=30) found that magnesium-ibogaine therapy in combat veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) led to slower brain wave patterns and reduced neural complexity on EEG, which correlated with improvements in PTSD, anxiety, and cognitive function at one-month follow-up.

More Research

• ​Implementing psychedelic-assisted therapy: History and characteristics of the Swiss limited medical use program​
• ​Psilocybin in alcohol use disorder and comorbid depressive symptoms: Results from a feasibility randomized clinical trial​
• ​Health-related behavioral changes following the use of psychedelics in naturalistic settings​
• ​Perturbing whole-brain models of brain hierarchy: An application for depression following pharmacological treatment​
• ​The polypharmacology of psychedelics reveals multiple targets for potential therapeutics​
• ​Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of Subcutaneous RE104: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Single Ascending Dose Placebo-Controlled Study​
• ​Safety and tolerability of multiple sublingual microdoses of 5-MeO-DMT in adults with moderate symptoms of depression and/or anxiety: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study​
• ​Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Urinary Recovery of Oral Mescaline Hydrochloride in Healthy Participants​
• ​Population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of co-administered N,N-dimethyltryptamine and harmine in healthy subjects​
• ​Naturalistic psychedelic use and changes in depressive symptoms​
• ​Acute effects of psilocybin on the dynamics of gaze fixations during visual aesthetic perception​
• ​Esketamine Monotherapy in Adults With Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial​
• ​Psilocybin treatment extends cellular lifespan and improves survival of aged mice​

New on Blossom

1 Psychedelic Research Recap July​

Psychedelic research is evolving rapidly, with new evidence emerging every month from across the scientific spectrum. This latest wave of studies spans rigorous clinical trials, real-world observational research, and foundational work in neuroscience and pharmacology. Together, they offer a broad view of how psychedelics are being tested, used, and understood inside and outside the clinic.

July’s findings challenge some popular narratives and reinforce others. While controlled trials continue to reveal new therapeutic possibilities for depression, addiction, and trauma, naturalistic studies point to the persistent risks of unsupervised use, especially in vulnerable populations. Meanwhile, advances in basic science are mapping the precise mechanisms behind psychedelic effects, uncovering both their therapeutic potential and their limitations.

The following recap discusses key results from each domain: clinical trials establishing efficacy and safety, observational research capturing real-world patterns, and mechanistic studies deepening our understanding of how these compounds work at the cellular and systems levels.

2 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

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