Jason Luoma, Ph.D.

Tripping Alone—Asterisk The clinical model of psychedelic therapy has become the default way to trip. What might we be missing as a result?

Interesting piece. asteriskmag.com/issues/11/tr...

The paradox? Psychedelics are thought to induce hypersuggestibility—undermining the conditions for autonomy in the first place. As we roll out the same model (solo trips, licensed facilities, non-directive guidance), are we encoding individualism into psychedelic access—while calling it neutral?

Anthropologists argue non-direction IS a form of direction—it just feels neutral because it matches Western values. "By leaving subjects to make their own meaning, the non-directive stance implicitly guides them towards a form of life built around the valorization of autonomy."

Interesting commentary on idea of "nondirective" approach in psychedelics as culturally laden.

Researchers interviewed therapists in clinical trials and "everybody told us they were totally non-directive." #psychedelicscience

Will any of this stick? Academic papers rarely change street language but maybe they can change what scientists say. Perhaps this will be a step forward, perhaps not. I'm looking forward to see if anyone picks this up. Keep an eye on this space to find out. doi.org/10.1177/2050...

They also want to rename entire drug categories:

No more Hallucinogens
Instead --- "Serotonergic psychedelics"

Ketamine? Now a "glutamatergic psychedelic"
Salvia? "Kappaergic psychedelic"
Your trip sitter? They're a "dosing assistant" now.

Maybe this will help with clarity around microdosing. Many people who are "microdosing" are actually taking doses they can feel.

By this new definition, they're "minidosing."

If you feel it, it's not a microdose anymore according to these researchers.

First up: dosing levels get a new set of labels (see examples for psilocybin after each):

Microdose = NO detectable effects (1mg psilocybin)
Minidose = just detectable (5mg) - NEW TERM
Mididose = perceptual changes, no full trip (10mg) - NEW TERM
Macrodose = full psychedelic experience (25mg)

Will psychedelic researchers finally speak the same language?

A new paper proposes standardized terminology for the field - and some of it is really new - Will it catch on?

Here's what they want to change. #psychedelicscienceRetry

New publication 🚨 "AI and the Future of Academic Peer Review" - led by Sebastian Porsdam Mann, with @cam.ac.uk Mateo Aboy, Joel Seah, Zhicheng Lin, Xufei Luo, @biowhal.bsky.social, Hazem Zohny, Timo Minssen, and Julian Savulescu: buff.ly/kP5Y6tN

(PDF) Psychedelic Therapy, Positive Emotional Experiences, and the Central Role of Self-Compassion PDF | Background: Psychedelics can acutely induce mystical experiences and elevated positive mood, which may contribute to the potential benefits of... | Find, read and cite all the research you need ...

An interesting new preprint about self-compassion in psychedelics. Seeing growing research here with Gabrielle Agin-Liebes leading the way. www.researchgate.net/publication/... #psychedelicscience

SYPRES (Synthesis of Psychedelic Research Studies) logo

🍄 Our new living systematic review and meta-analysis on psilocybin for depression is out. Here's what we found and the open science infrastructure we built to support it 🧪🧵
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

Love this new review on psychedelics & emotions from colleagues!
One theme—how we measure positive emotions— resonates with our paper on why distinct positive emotions need more focus in psychedelic science, given their potential role in therapeutic benefits: www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/...

This studies suggests it may be time for regulatory agencies to loosen up restrictions on psilocybin and allow it for more complex study participants. doi.org/10.1016/j.ge...

Why this matters:

Many terminally ill patients are excluded from mental health trials due to medical complexity. This study shows we may be unnecessarily gatekeeping a potentially transformative treatment from those who need it most.

What happened during sessions?

88% had transient BP elevation (resolved in 5-15 min)
47% experienced nausea
29% elevated heartrate
23% had temporary anxiety
1 patient needed tissues for crying-induced congestion

No rescue meds needed. No cardiac events. No hospitalizations from treatment.

New study showing that psilocybin can be given to patients on ventilators, dialysis, and with advanced heart failure.
Zero serious adverse events occurred further demonstrating that psilocybin can be safe with appropriate medical monitoring. #psychedelicscience

Applications close in 10 days - don't miss out on this great opportunity!
ALSO!!! another research role in our lab coming soon – please subscribe for announcement if you’re not eligible for the current one: www.monash.edu/medicine/scs...

#psychedelicscience doi.org/10.1016/j.ps... to read the original article

The authors note Lykos raised $240M+ and faces investor pressure. But as a public benefit corporation claiming to prioritize "positive impact on people, communities and society," this pricing strategy seems wildly misaligned.

Who benefits from breakthrough treatments nobody can afford?

This comparison trick makes MDMA look less impressive economically.

When you compare to actual standard care (not placebo), MDMA therapy could be cost-saving within 5 years - changing the value proposition for insurers and patients.

PROBLEM 2: The placebo comparison

Lykos compared MDMA therapy to... the exact same therapy with placebo pills.
But in the real world, PTSD patients get:

Evidence-based psychotherapy (CPT, PE, EMDR)
SSRIs like sertraline
Not placebo + two therapists for 8 hours

Why does this matter? Insurance math:
At $36,000 → insurers break even after 8.4 years
At $10,500 → insurers break even after 3.8 years
Most people switch insurance every 2-3 years. No insurer covers treatments that only save money for their competitors.

PROBLEM 1: The $36,000 question
Lykos' analysis assumes $12,000 per MDMA dose × 3 sessions = $36,000 just for the drug (not including therapy costs!)

Alternative modeling shows:
Below $10,320 for MDMA: Treatment becomes cost-SAVING

Here's the timeline:

Aug 2024: FDA rejects Lykos' MDMA therapy application
November 2024: Lykos publishes cost-effectiveness study suggesting their $36k price is cost effective
Aug 2025: New critique exposes deep flaws in their economic argument

New analysis reveals a huge disconnect in MDMA therapy pricing: Lykos wants $36,000 for the drug alone, but researchers calculate it it needs to be around $10,500 to be cost saving. This could be the difference between a niche drug for a few vs a breakthrough therapy accessible to millions.

Odds of winning NIH grants plummet as new funding policy and spending delays bite Funding multiyear grants up front will sharply cut number of investigators receiving awards

Odds of winning NIH grants plummet as new funding policy and spending delays bite | Science | AAAS share.google/viASDaYC4l6n...

Interesting...
MDMA-assisted therapy as a treatment for major depressive disorder: proof of principle study
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Louis Castonguay, PhD, on Practice Research Networks, Mutual Respect in Science, and the Joy of Collaboration - Jason Luoma, Ph.D. Episode Description: Louis Castonguay, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Penn State University and a leading figure in contemporary psychotherapy research. With a career spanning decades, Dr. Cas...

The newest episode of my Research Matters Podcast it out, this time with Louis Castonguay talking about all he's learned forming and managing multiple practice research networks. He was a very entertaining and knowledgeable guest. I learned a ton. jasonluoma.com/podcast/loui... #researchmatterspod

First year they asked about psilocybin specifically, so we'll get some trend data in future years.