Where to begin.
Plain-English explanations of psilocybin science and research literacy, structured as a three-track progression. Start with Foundations and build your way up.
Core concepts. Start here if you are new.
- 01
The Stages of a Psilocybin Experience: A Phenomenological Map
What actually happens during a moderate-to-high dose psilocybin experience, from onset to integration. A clear, non-sensational walkthrough of the typical stages.
Start module - 02
What Integration Actually Means After a Psychedelic Experience
Integration is the process of making sense of and acting on insights from a psychedelic experience. We explain what the term actually refers to, why it matters for outcomes, and what useful integration looks like in practice.
Start module - 03
How to Read a Clinical Trial Like a Researcher
A practical guide to evaluating clinical trial papers, from sample size and blinding to outcome measures and conflicts of interest. We use psilocybin research as the running example, but the framework applies broadly.
Start module
Applied knowledge. Read research like a researcher.
- 04
REBUS, Entropic Brain, and What Psychedelics Do to the Cortex
Two influential theoretical frameworks have shaped how scientists think about psychedelic action in the brain. We explain the entropic brain hypothesis and the REBUS model, what they predict, and how the evidence has held up.
Start module - 05
Tolerance and Cross-Tolerance with Psilocybin: What to Know
Psilocybin produces tolerance faster than almost any other recreational substance. We explain the underlying biology, what cross-tolerance means in practice, and the implications for both clinical and recreational use.
Start module - 06
How Psilocybin Works: Pharmacology Explained
From oral ingestion to receptor binding, what actually happens when psilocybin enters the body. A clear explanation of the pharmacology, written for readers without a chemistry background.
Start module - 07
Microdosing Psilocybin: What the Controlled Studies Show
Microdosing has moved from anecdote to active research. We summarize the controlled trials published to date, what they reveal about active vs. placebo effects, and where the popular narrative diverges from the evidence.
Start module
Deep cuts. Open questions, nuanced trade-offs.
- 08
Psilocybin vs. LSD vs. Ayahuasca: How They Differ
Classic psychedelics share core mechanisms but differ in important ways. We compare psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca across pharmacology, experience, duration, and clinical research.
Start module - 09
Psilocybin for End-of-Life Anxiety: What the Research Shows
Existential distress in terminally ill patients has been one of the most consistent areas of psilocybin research. We review the trials, the magnitude of effect, and the practical and ethical questions that remain.
Start module - 10
Psilocybin and the Default Mode Network: What fMRI Actually Reveals
Functional brain imaging has reshaped our understanding of how psychedelics affect consciousness. We explain the Default Mode Network, what psilocybin appears to do to it, and the limits of what current evidence can claim.
Start module - 11
Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression: What the Research Actually Shows
A careful review of the clinical trial literature on psilocybin for depression. We summarize the published evidence, identify the methodological limits, and explain what the data does and does not justify.
Start module - 12
Inside the Johns Hopkins Psilocybin Trials: Method, Findings, Limits
Johns Hopkins has run more psilocybin trials than any other Western institution. We walk through their methodology, headline findings, and the careful limits researchers themselves place on what the data can and cannot show.
Start module
Learn at the pace of one good idea a week.
Each Sunday we send one essential read, one open question, and one term you should know. No firehose. No upsells.
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