After the Trip: A Qualitative Study of Healthy Individuals' Motor Experiences Following Different Doses of Psilocybin.
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring classic psychedelic associated with widespread changes in brain function and promising therapeutic outcomes in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Complementing these findings, qualitative studies following psilocybin administration have reveal
- Authors
- Luo RR, Berlowitz DJ, Bryson A, Carter O, Bhagavan C, Kanaan R
- Journal
- Brain and behavior
- Published
- 2026-10-01
- DOI
- 10.1002/brb3.71807
- PMID
- 42886634
- Content type
- Paper
- Authority
- Academic
Abstract
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring classic psychedelic associated with widespread changes in brain function and promising therapeutic outcomes in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Complementing these findings, qualitative studies following psilocybin administration have revealed diverse and highly individual effects across multiple domains of subjective experience. However, little is known about its impacts on individuals' subjective motor experiences. With the tendency of individuals to stay stationary during psilocybin's effects, investigating qualitative motor experiences following low-to-moderate doses of psilocybin may offer novel considerations regarding safety and quality of individuals' psychedelic experiences. We aimed to explore healthy individuals' subjective experiences after receiving three different doses of psilocybin and conducting motor activity. Following the study procedure previously published, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants who had completed sessions of motor tasks at different doses of psilocybin, which were then transcribed and thematically analyzed. Four major themes were developed, each containing sub-themes: two motor themes, (1) mixed motor messages, including altered motor coordination, control, speed, and reaction time; (2) interacting influences on motor performance, including dose-dependent effects; and two non-motor themes, (3) transcendence, altered consciousness, and transformative "mysticism"; and (4) dynamic and enhanced psychological and sensory experiences. This work contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of psilocybin's multifaceted effects and their relevance to safety, therapeutic potential and future research in motor disorders. The findings will inform a broader dose-finding study and the design of proposed research on psilocybin-assisted physiotherapy for refractory motor functional neurological disorder. ANZCTR number: ACTRN12621000560897.
Citation
Luo RR, Berlowitz DJ, Bryson A, Carter O, Bhagavan C, Kanaan R (2026) After the Trip: A Qualitative Study of Healthy Individuals' Motor Experiences Following Different Doses of Psilocybin.. Brain and behavior. doi:10.1002/brb3.71807
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.71807
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