SUMMARY

Unlike previous studies that focus on psychedelic therapy in individual settings that often require highly engineered clinical/lab settings, this survey study address psychedelic use in social settings. It serves as a better reflection of indigenous use of psychedelics. In this study, 866 participants answered questions at 5 times before and after participating in a retreat, ceremony, or other guided experience involving the use of a classic psychedelic containing a 5-HT2A receptor agonist (e.g., psilocybin, DMT, mescaline, or LSD).

Various scales (all previously published) were used in an effort to create a new scale of communitas - an intense sense of togetherness and shared humanity. Importantly, communitas was found to significantly predict enduring increases in psychological wellbeing and social connectedness following psychedelic use. The observed increases in psychological wellbeing are in accordance with previous research, which indicates that guided and ceremonial use of psychedelics can lead to longlasting psychologically beneficial changes.

SUMMARY

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents a major public health problem for which currently available treatments are modestly effective. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive manualized therapy with MDMA or with placebo, combined with three preparatory and nine integrative therapy sessions. The results indicate that, compared with manualized therapy with inactive placebo, MDMA-assisted therapy is highly efficacious in individuals with severe PTSD, and treatment is safe and well-tolerated, even in those with comorbidities. MDMA-assisted therapy represents a potential breakthrough treatment that merits expedited clinical evaluation.

​

This study is the first Phase 3 study involving MDMA and was a huge collaborative effort from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) team and their public benefit corporation. 

SUMMARY

When ethnic minority and women leaders advocate for demographic balance within organizations, their perceived low-status demographics become instantly salient, thus activating negative stereotypes associated with their low-status category. Perceived incompetence is the core of most of the stereotypes that tend to be leveled against non-Whites and women.

​

But White men who engage in diversity valuing behavior aren’t penalized because they don’t face any negative stereotypes. High-status groups are afforded “idiosyncrasy credit,” and, therefore, given freedom to deviate from the status quo. White and male leaders benefit in terms of higher performance ratings for engaging in the exact same behavior because it increases interpersonal warmth, which accounts for 82% of variance in perceptions of everyday social behaviors.