Scientists scan brains of 12 volunteers on magic mushrooms to map psychedelic states

NCT ID NCT05698511

Ongoing Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, MA Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study gives 12 healthy volunteers with prior psychedelic experience up to four doses of psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) while scanning their brains with MRI and EEG. Researchers ask participants about their feelings every 100 seconds during scans to link brain activity to mental states. The goal is to better understand the brain and body changes during a psychedelic experience, which may inform future research on psychedelic therapies.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: psilocybin
What this could lead to: If successful, this study could help researchers understand how psilocybin produces its effects, potentially guiding future treatments for mental health conditions.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early-phase study with only 12 healthy volunteers. It is not designed to test any treatment, so results may not apply to patients or lead directly to therapies.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS NEUROIMAGING PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCES

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, California, 94158, United States

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