Paradox of Psychedelics: From Mind-Bending to Mind-Mending

Scritto da Ceyda Sayalı

People tend to respond more slowly and make more mistakes on tasks that require focusing, remembering, or switching between rules (Barrett et al., 2018; Pokorny et al., 2020; Quednow et al., 2012). These effects are short-lived but illustrate how psychedelics temporarily loosen the mind’s usual control systems. These changes underscore the significant, albeit temporary, impact of psychedelics on cognitive processes.

Interestingly, while psychedelics can briefly interrupt normal thinking, they may also help people become more mentally flexible over time, meaning better able to adjust their thoughts and behaviors to new situations. For example, Doss and colleagues (2021) found that people with depression made fewer mistakes on a computer task that measures how well someone can notice changing rules and adjust their choices accordingly — a kind of mental flexibility test — one month after psilocybin therapy. This suggested their thinking had become more adaptable. Similarly, Close et al. (2020) showed that being able to adjust one’s perspective and accept experiences, known as psychological flexibility, helps explain how psychedelics can reduce anxiety and depression.

A lingering question in psychedelic research is then understanding how a single use can have such lasting impacts on cognition and mood. In contrast to substances like alcohol, which may also offer a temporary spike in creative task performance that requires flexible thinking (Benedek et al., 2017) but lack enduring cognitive benefits, psychedelics seem to facilitate long-lasting positive changes in cognitive processes tied to mental health. This paradoxical nature of the treatment, involving transient (short-term) cognitive impairment followed by sustained (long-lasting) cognitive improvement, highlights a complex yet potentially valuable connection that could open new paths for therapeutic interventions.

One explanation for the effects of psychedelics is their ability to help balance different ways of thinking depending on the situation (Sayalı & Barrett, 2023). Imagine your brain like a well-trodden path in a forest, where negative thoughts and worry are like deep ruts that make it hard to stray onto new paths. In conditions like depression, this path becomes so entrenched that it's difficult to think any other way, leading to constant worrying or fixating on certain thoughts. This is where psychedelics come into the picture, acting like a surprising guide through the mental wilderness. They offer a chance to switch between being stuck in our ways (mental rigidity) and being open to change (flexibility). This flexibility is crucial for treating conditions like depression.

A New Path for Mental Health Treatment

When psychedelics disrupt our usual focus, it's like they're shaking up the snow globe of our thoughts. This disruption can guide those stuck in negative thinking towards a more adaptable mindset, initiating a much-needed shift in thought patterns. What’s more fascinating is that these effects are not just fleeting. With their rapid and lasting impact, psychedelics can enhance the brain's ability to learn and adapt. This is shown by an increase in substances in the brain that help it grow and adapt after taking psychedelics (Holze et al., 2021; Hutten et al., 2020) - a process known as neuroplasticity. Research has shown that after taking psilocybin, there is a change in how certain brain networks communicate (Barrett et al., 2020; Devon Stoliker et al., 2022; McCulloch et al., 2021). These networks are involved in how we manage our thoughts, focus our attention, and make decisions. Along with these changes, there's also a decrease in behaviors and brain activity linked to bad moods. So, what does all this mean? Psychedelics might be opening a window for therapeutic change. They make it easier to manage thoughts, regulate mood, and enhance the brain's ability to adapt and learn from new experiences. In the context of psychotherapy, this improved capacity for change and learning could be particularly valuable for individuals struggling with mental health issues. Think of it as being equipped with a map and tools to explore new, healthier paths in the forest of your mind.

In conclusion, the therapeutic promise of psychedelics lies in their extraordinary capacity to initially disrupt normal perception, emotion, and cognition, while paradoxically leading to long-term improvements in cognitive flexibility. This contrast, where initial disorientation evolves into therapeutic insight and resilience, reflects the path many traverse in overcoming mental health challenges. Psychedelics, by reshaping entrenched thought patterns and promoting beneficial changes in brain plasticity, emerge not merely as remnants of a past cultural epoch but as vital instruments of hope in contemporary mental health care.

Numero della rivista 31 2025