Psychedelic experience

A temporary altered state produced by psychedelic substances, often involving changes in perception, emotion, thought, and selfhood.

Serotonin 5-HT2A receptor: A serotonin receptor subtype that is a principal molecular target of classic psychedelic drugs. Its activation is closely associated with the characteristic effects of classic psychedelics.
Altered state of consciousness: A temporary departure from ordinary waking awareness in perception, attention, thought, or self-experience. Psychedelic experience is one substance-induced form of altered consciousness.
Psychedelic therapy: A treatment approach that combines psychedelic administration with psychological support or psychotherapy. Therapy protocols aim to use the experience as part of treatment, not as a stand-alone drug effect.
Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder: A condition involving persistent or recurrent perceptual disturbances after hallucinogen use. It is a rare adverse outcome in which perceptual changes outlast the acute experience.
Default mode network: A set of brain regions that often show coordinated activity during internally directed thought. Changes in its organization have been studied in relation to altered self-experience.
Hallucination: A perception-like experience that occurs without a corresponding external stimulus. Some psychedelic experiences include vivid sensory events without matching external sources.
Psilocybin: A naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms and converted in the body to psilocin. It is among the best-studied substances for producing psychedelic experiences in clinical research.
Acute psychological distress: Severe fear, panic, or confusion arising during an episode of altered mental state. Psychedelic experiences can include distressing reactions that require careful support.
Predictive processing: An account of perception in which the brain combines sensory evidence with expectations to infer what is happening. It offers a framework for understanding how psychedelics may loosen ordinary expectations.
Ego dissolution: A temporary weakening or loss of the usual boundaries and continuity of the self. It describes one prominent way psychedelics can alter self-experience.

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