Psilocybin Reorganizes Brain Activity by Task in 62 Adults, Narrowing Visual-State Gaps by 85%
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Aug 21
Psilocybin Reorganizes Brain Activity by Task in 62 Adults, Narrowing Visual-State Gaps by 85%
3 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Aug 21
Summary
A 19-mg psilocybin dose made brain activity track what participants were doing—resting, meditating, listening to music or watching a movie—rather than appearing broadly disorganized, Monash researchers reported in Nature.
fMRI and EEG data from 62 healthy adults showed brain networks became less distinct but formed task-specific patterns; music produced the strongest overall organization, and positive, immersive experiences showed the clearest separation.
Closed-eye sessions reduced coordination between sensory regions and the wider brain, while memory- and self-related regions became more coordinated; during the movie, coordination rose across sensory and higher-level regions.
Within the visual network, the difference between open- and closed-eye brain states shrank by 85%, and stronger reorganization tracked next-day gains in connection, patience, harmony and inner peace, though the links were correlational.
The single-center, open-label study had 54 usable scans in its main AI analysis and no placebo control, so the authors said patient trials, replication and safety standards are still needed before any clinical use.