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Re:Psilocybin for major depression granted Breakthrough Ther... by dwaltrip on Tuesday November 26, 2019 @11:41PM (#21645304)
Psilocybin has known physiological affects on the body and on the brain. We see very clearly differences in how the brain functions on psilocybin.

It's absolutely not a placebo. That, or the definition of the word is being stretched such that all meaning is lost.

Re:Psilocybin for major depression granted Breakthrough Ther... by wefarrell on Wednesday November 27, 2019 @10:20AM (#21648552)
Placebos also have known physiological effects on the brain and there are clear differences when taking a pink placebo vs a blue one: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...

This is not to downplay the effects of psychadelics - I've taken plenty and of course the psychoactive effects are undeniable. But the effects are from far more than just the chemicals. For example smoked DMT hallucinations are very different than Ayahuasca, despite the two being the same chemical.

Re:Psilocybin for major depression granted Breakthrough Ther... by dwaltrip on Wednesday November 27, 2019 @03:08PM (#21651565)
Hmm, I see what you are saying. I'd like to see a comparison between the effects of established placebos on the brain versus psilocybin. My hunch is that the mechanisms are quite different, but maybe there are some interesting similarities.