ALPS Blog

Do psychedelics really produce a mystical experience?
Polina Ponomarenko Polina Ponomarenko

Do psychedelics really produce a mystical experience?

Currently, in the field of psychedelic research, the most popular psychometrically validated instrument is the “Five Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness Questionnaire” (5D-ASC), closely followed by Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30). The latter is used to analyse the general phenomenon of a mystical experience, what the underlying neural mechanisms of it are, and whether it can predict therapeutic efficacy. But how come so many people describe psychedelic experiences as mystical? Or maybe the question is, who started to use this terminology and why?

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Psychedelic Summer Reads
ALPS Foundation ALPS Foundation

Psychedelic Summer Reads

Summer is here, and with it the promise of a long awaited vacation.What better time to catch up on some reading? Here are a few recommendations for a psychedelic beach read that are sure to leave you both entertained and informed.

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The Swiss Psychedelic Students Network keeps growing!
ALPS Foundation ALPS Foundation

The Swiss Psychedelic Students Network keeps growing!

What is the Swiss Psychedelic Student Associations Network? As we prepare to greet the newest member of our family, the Psychedelic Research Organisation of Bern (PROBE), I reflect upon how the network came to be, and what the future might hold

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Empathy, trust, and doing good with psychedelics
Polina Ponomarenko Polina Ponomarenko

Empathy, trust, and doing good with psychedelics

Most of the people studying psychedelics know about their intense hallucinogenic effect, their potential in therapy or even neuroplasticity, but today I would like to focus on one effect that is not immediately associated with psychedelics: prosocial behaviour.

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Looking back at the first ALPS conference
ALPS Foundation ALPS Foundation

Looking back at the first ALPS conference

It seems like a different time, when hardly over a year ago, the first seeds of what would eventually turn into our first scientific conference were planted. 

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