Psyki & Science
At Psyki, curiosity is guided by evidence.
Our approach to psilocybin is grounded in psychology, ethics, and the growing body of scientific research exploring psychedelics, consciousness, behaviour, and mental wellbeing. We believe meaningful experiences deserve more than beautiful surroundings or good intentions—they should be approached with care, preparation, thoughtful screening, and an honest understanding of what science can and cannot yet tell us.
Research into psilocybin continues to evolve rapidly. Studies are exploring its effects on mood, cognition, emotional processing, neuroplasticity, addiction, and patterns of behaviour, while also examining the importance of factors such as mindset, environment, preparation, and integration. We follow this developing evidence closely and use it to inform the way Psyki experiences are structured and supported.
At the same time, we believe responsible practice means avoiding exaggerated claims. Psychedelic experiences are deeply individual, and research is still developing. Our role is not to promise outcomes, but to create conditions in which people can approach psilocybin with greater understanding, psychological support, and respect for both its potential and its limits.
Our work is therefore shaped by three principles: evidence, ethics, and integration.
We draw on psychological frameworks, current research, and established principles of psychedelic harm reduction to guide preparation, facilitation, and the work that follows the experience. Because for us, the journey itself is only one part of the process. What matters is how insight is understood, integrated, and carried into everyday life.
In this section, we explore the science behind psilocybin, the questions researchers are still working to answer, and the evidence that continues to shape the Psyki approach.
Current state of psilocybin research
Over the past two decades, scientific interest in psilocybin has grown considerably, with an increasing number of studies exploring its effects on the brain, mood, behaviour, perception, and psychological wellbeing.
Early findings are promising. Research has examined psilocybin in areas including depression, anxiety, addiction, emotional processing, and cognitive flexibility, while also exploring how psychedelic experiences may influence patterns of thought, perspective, and self-awareness.
At the same time, the science is still developing. Study quality varies, sample sizes are often relatively small, and not every finding can yet be generalised beyond the specific populations and settings in which it was observed.
At Psyki, we believe it is important to hold both of these realities at once: there is meaningful scientific potential, but also much still to understand.
In this section, we explore findings from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials, and peer-reviewed research from established scientific institutions, presenting the evidence in a way that is clear, balanced, and grounded in what is currently known.
Emerging research continues to explore how psilocybin may support a range of mental health conditions:
Depression
A 2020 Johns Hopkins University study found that psilocybin-assisted therapy produced substantial reductions in depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder, with improvements continuing for several weeks after treatment.
Source & Link
Davis et al., JAMA Psychiatry (2021; published online 2020) Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder
Type
Randomized clinical trial
24 adults with major depressive disorder
Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research.
Treatment-Resistant Depression
A 2022 phase 2 clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin with psychological support significantly reduced depressive symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression at three weeks.
Source & Link
Goodwin et al., The New England Journal of Medicine (2022) Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression
Type
Phase 2, double-blind randomized clinical trial
233 adults with treatment-resistant depression
Compared 25 mg, 10 mg and 1 mg psilocybin with psychological support.
Anxiety & Existential Distress
Two major 2016 studies from Johns Hopkins University and NYU found that psilocybin-assisted therapy significantly reduced anxiety and depression in people facing life-threatening cancer, while also improving quality of life and existential wellbeing.
Source & Link
Griffiths et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016) Psilocybin Produces Substantial and Sustained Decreases in Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Life-Threatening Cancer
Type
Randomized, double-blind crossover clinical trial
51 participants with life-threatening cancer and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety
Johns Hopkins University.
PTSD
A 2026 clinical study exploring psilocybin with psychological support in people with PTSD reported meaningful reductions in PTSD symptoms over the follow-up period.
Source & Link
McGowan et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology (2026; first published online 2025) Investigating the Safety and Tolerability of Single-Dose Psilocybin for PTSD
Type
Phase 2, multicentre, nonrandomized open-label clinical trial
22 adults with PTSD
PTSD symptoms were measured using CAPS-5 and PCL-5 through 12 weeks.
OCD
An early 2006 University of Arizona study suggested that psilocybin may reduce obsessive-compulsive symptoms. A subsequent 2026 randomized clinical trial found further encouraging results, supporting continued research into psilocybin for OCD.
Source & Link
Moreno et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology (2026) A Randomized Clinical Trial of Repeated Doses of Psilocybin for OCD
Type
Randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled Phase 1 followed by single-blind Phase 2
15 participants completed the randomized phase
OCD severity assessed using the Y-BOCS with follow-up extending to six months.
Alcohol Use
A 2022 randomized clinical trial from NYU found that people receiving psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy had significantly fewer heavy-drinking days than those receiving psychotherapy with an active placebo.
Source & Link
Bogenschutz et al., JAMA Psychiatry (2022) Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo
Type
Double-blind randomized clinical trial
95 participants randomized; 93 received study treatment and were included in the primary analysis
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy compared with active placebo plus psychotherapy.
Anorexia Nervosa
A 2023 University of California San Diego study explored psilocybin therapy in women with anorexia nervosa. The early feasibility study found the treatment generally tolerable and acceptable, supporting further research into its potential role in eating-disorder treatment.
Source & Link
Knatz Peck et al., Nature Medicine (2023) Psilocybin Therapy for Females With Anorexia Nervosa
Type
Phase 1 open-label feasibility study
10 adult women with anorexia nervosa or partial remission
University of California San Diego.
Bipolar II Depression
A 2023 study examining psilocybin in carefully selected people experiencing bipolar II depression reported substantial reductions in depressive symptoms after treatment. The study was small and open-label, so further controlled research is needed.
Source & Link
Aaronson et al., JAMA Psychiatry (2024; first published 2023) Single-Dose Synthetic Psilocybin With Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar II Depression
Type
Nonrandomized, open-label prospective trial
15 adults with treatment-resistant bipolar II depressive episodes
Participants were followed for 12 weeks after a single 25-mg dose with psychological support.
Meaning & Purpose
A 2017 Johns Hopkins study found enduring increases in measures including life meaning, purpose, interpersonal closeness, and psychological wellbeing following psilocybin experiences combined with supportive practices. More recent 2025 research has also reported increases in perceived meaning in life following psychedelic experiences.
Source & Link
Griffiths et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology (2018; first published 2017) Psilocybin-Occasioned Mystical-Type Experience and Enduring Positive Psychological Change
Type
Randomized, double-blind controlled study
75 healthy participants completed the study
Six-month outcomes included life meaning/purpose, interpersonal closeness, wellbeing and other measures of psychological functioning.
Emotional Processing
Research published in 2018 and 2020 by Imperial College London investigated how psilocybin may alter brain activity involved in emotional processing, including changes in amygdala responses and connectivity in people with treatment-resistant depression.
Source & Link
Roseman et al., Neuropharmacology (2018) Increased Amygdala Responses to Emotional Faces After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Type
Open-label clinical neuroimaging study
20 adults with treatment-resistant depression; 19 completed the relevant fMRI assessments
Imperial College London.
Psychological Flexibility
A 2024 clinical study found that psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and values-aligned living improved following psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression, with greater flexibility associated with larger reductions in depressive symptoms.
Source & Link
Sloshower et al., Scientific Reports (2024) Psychological Flexibility as a Mechanism of Change in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Major Depression
Type
Exploratory placebo-controlled, within-subject clinical study
19 participants received placebo; 15 subsequently completed psilocybin treatment
Psychological flexibility, mindfulness and values-congruent living were followed through 16 weeks.
Neural Flexibility
A 2021 Johns Hopkins study found that psilocybin therapy increased cognitive flexibility for at least four weeks in people with major depressive disorder and was associated with measurable changes in patterns of brain connectivity.
Source & Link
Doss et al., Translational Psychiatry (2021) Psilocybin Therapy Increases Cognitive and Neural Flexibility in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder
Type
Open-label clinical neuroimaging study
24 adults with major depressive disorder
Measured cognitive flexibility, dynamic functional connectivity and neurometabolites following psilocybin therapy.
Smoking
A 2014 Johns Hopkins pilot study reported promising smoking-cessation outcomes when psilocybin was combined with behavioural support. A larger 2026 randomized pilot trial subsequently found higher prolonged abstinence rates with psilocybin plus CBT than with nicotine patches plus CBT.
Source & Link
Johnson et al., JAMA Network Open (2026) Psilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation
Type
Pilot randomized clinical trial
82 adult smokers
Compared psilocybin + CBT with nicotine replacement therapy + CBT, with a six-month primary follow-up.
Cocaine Use
A 2026 randomized clinical trial found that psilocybin combined with psychotherapy was associated with more cocaine-abstinent days, greater rates of complete abstinence, and a lower risk of returning to cocaine use than active placebo plus psychotherapy.
Source & Link
Hendricks et al., JAMA Network Open (2026) Psilocybin in the Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder
Type
Randomized clinical trial
40 adults with cocaine use disorder
Psilocybin with manualised psychotherapy was compared with active placebo plus the same psychotherapy through 180 days.
ADHD
Research into psilocybin and ADHD is an exciting and developing area. Early findings are encouraging researchers to explore how psychedelic compounds may support attention, cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and patterns of impulsivity. As this field grows, psilocybin may offer valuable new insights into how ADHD can be understood and supported in the future.
Source & Link
Raikkerus et al., Acta Neuropsychiatrica (2026) The Effects of Psychedelics on Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder — A Systematic Review
Type
Systematic review
1,023 records identified; 6 publications met inclusion criteria
Included controlled, observational and case-level research involving psychedelic compounds and ADHD.
Sources for further research
Psychedelic science is developing quickly, and no single page can capture the full body of research surrounding psilocybin. While we aim to present the evidence accurately and responsibly, new studies are continually being published and existing findings continue to evolve.
We encourage you to remain curious, explore the research for yourself, and consider findings from multiple reputable sources. Where possible, we recommend beginning with peer-reviewed publications, registered clinical trials, and established academic research centres.
Some resources we find particularly valuable include:
- PubMed — U.S. National Library of Medicine
One of the best places to search the peer-reviewed medical and scientific literature directly.
Explore PubMed - Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research
One of the world's leading academic centres studying psilocybin, consciousness, depression, addiction and other areas of mental health. Johns Hopkins Medicine
Explore Johns Hopkins research - Imperial Centre for Interventional Psychiatry & Psychedelic Research
Imperial College London's research centre investigates psychedelics through clinical trials, neuroscience and advanced brain-imaging research. Imperial College London
Explore Imperial research - ClinicalTrials.gov
A U.S. National Library of Medicine registry where you can explore registered, ongoing and completed psilocybin clinical trials around the world. ClinicalTrials
Search psilocybin clinical trials - OPEN Foundation
A Netherlands-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing rigorous psychedelic research, education and responsible integration within science and healthcare. OPEN Foundation
Explore OPEN Foundation research - Heffter Research Institute
A longstanding nonprofit research organisation supporting scientific investigation of psilocybin, with publications spanning depression, addiction, OCD, neuroscience and existential wellbeing. Heffter Institute
Explore Heffter publications - Beckley Foundation
The Foundation has supported and collaborated on psychedelic neuroscience and clinical research with institutions including Imperial College London and Maastricht University. The Beckley Foundation
Explore Beckley research - MAPS — Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
MAPS provides research resources and literature covering psychedelics including psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, ayahuasca and ibogaine. MAPS
Explore MAPS research - Blossom
A searchable psychedelic-research database that brings together published papers, controlled human trials, research topics and study summaries. It is particularly useful for navigating the field, although it should be treated as a secondary resource rather than a substitute for the original publication. Blossom
Explore the Blossom database - Psychedelic Alpha
An independent research, industry and policy resource with trackers covering psychedelic drug development and developments across the wider field. Psychedelic Alpha
Explore Psychedelic Alpha