Psychedelic Neuroscience Demystified: How Psychedelics Alter Consciousness and Produce Therapeutic Effects

Become a neuroscience-informed participant in the psychedelic space.

Clinicians and therapists have an increasing interest in psychedelic therapies. However, many don’t know the scientific evidence on how they work at the level of the brain. The information in this special course can help inform your therapeutic approaches and how you can better guide your clients to conceptualize their experiences.

What you’ll learn:

• An introduction to brain structure and function
• Background on how the brain is altered in mood disorders and how psychedelics may help counter these changes for therapeutic benefit
• In-depth explanations of psychedelic neuropharmacology, neuroimaging, and leading theories of psychedelic brain effects
• Therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics at the cellular, circuit, and global brain level
• The science of set and setting
• An exploration of how psychedelics can enhance human potential

What makes this course special?

The lectures and accompanying live study groups will provide a comprehensive and accessible overview of the neural mechanisms underlying the psychedelic experience and its therapeutic action.

The curriculum is designed with relevance for clinical best practices in mind and includes in-depth discussions of the latest evidence on ‘set and setting’ factors that contribute to the nature of psychedelic experiences, the holistic effects of psychedelics on the brain, nervous system, and body, and how psychedelics differ from standard pharmacological treatments.

What you’ll receive when you enroll in this course:

• 10+ hours of course material
• 12 hours of face-to-face time with the instructors via Zoom (eight 1.5-hour calls)
• Access to chat live with expert guest presenters
• Connect with others to build an online community
• Lifetime access to the course material
• Finishing the course as a neuroscientifically informed participant in the psychedelic space

Course Curriculum Outline:

• UNIT 1 – Introduction to Neuroscience and Psychedelics
• UNIT 2 – The Neuropsychological Paradigm of Psychedelic Therapy
• UNIT 3 – Psychedelic Pharmacology I
• UNIT 4 – Psychedelic Pharmacology II
• UNIT 5 – Cellular and Peripheral Therapeutic Mechanisms
• UNIT 6 – Experiential, Circuit, & Large-Scale (Neuroimaging) Therapeutic Mechanisms
• UNIT 7 – The Science of Set and Setting
• UNIT 8 – Psychedelics and Human Potential