Psychedelics are part of psychoactive substances that can alter a person's state of consciousness, including momentary and dose-dependent distortions on the experience of the ego.
Known as ego-death, ego-loss, or ego-disintegration, this phenomenon is characterized by decreased self-awareness and ultimately disrupting self-world boundaries and increasing feelings of unity to the surroundings.
But most importantly, there is a renewed interest in the use of these substances in the treatment of psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. Recent studies have confirmed that psychedelic substances can increase well-being and provide therapeutic relief for those suffering from those disorders.
With the growing interest in the medicinal use of psychedelic substances such as Psilocybin for disorders characterized by distortions of the self-experience, clinical evidence has emphasized the role of neurotransmitter glutamate play, comes into the surface.
Glutamate Levels Affect the Perception of Ego
There is increasing evidence relating glutamate to self-awareness, stating that when someone is tripping, higher levels of the neurotransmitter in the brain's cortex is evident.
Following a series of experiments, using an ultra-high field multimodal brain imaging approach and demonstrated that Psilocybin could cause region-dependent alterations in glutamate, it predicted the distortions of the subjective experience of one's self.
It showed that higher levels of glutamate in the medial prefrontal cortex could be associated with a negative experience of ego-dissolution. In contrast, low levels in the hippocampus are associated with positive ego-dissolution.
As the most common neurotransmitter in the brain, glutamate is critical for sending fast signals and information, especially in the cortex and hippocampus. It is believed that the latter plays a role in self-esteem, according to Science Alert.
It is still unclear how this activity in the brain is related to the ego, or even if it is. Some still suggested that psychedelics can separate regions of the brain, such as the momentary separation of factual or autobiographical information and a sense of personal identity.
Read Also: Psychotherapist Reveals How Easing of Restrictions Could Lead People to Feel Anxious and Overwhelmed
Psychedelic Substances Considered for Their Therapeutic Benefits
Years of research that went on for decades on drugs like Psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) are now finally being considered for their therapeutic benefits.
According to converging evidence of researches, the three drugs can stimulate serotonin receptors located in the cortical pyramidal neurons, which is the suggested primary mechanism of action for their hallucinogenic effect. This further emphasizes the role of the glutamate system in serotonin receptor-mediated effects on brain function and behavior.
Scientists will be able to develop better treatments for people with mental health issues, such as anxiety, when depression when experts know and understand how these drugs work on a neurochemical basis.
Furthermore, it would also be best if people also understand how drugs could affect the ego if used to treat mental health. Hopefully, it does not come with a bad trip along with it.
The researchers published their study in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
