A new study was published in Brain Research that suggested electromagnetic fields (EMFs) might help people achieve the mental state known as flow, a term coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, to describe the feeling of being totally immersed in a task, losing track of time, and experiencing effortless concentration.

During investigative sessions with test subjects, researchers found that when participants were exposed to these EMFs, there was a significant drop in beta wave activity (which is linked to active thinking and focus) in several brain regions, suggesting that they might have shifted to a more focused state – the kind that feels like flow. People exposed to these EMFs also reported that concentrating was easier, especially those who hadn't played the game before.  Here’s more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006899324004128

The European Commission registered a new citizens’ initiative designed to promote psychedelic-assisted treatments for mental health disorders.

The initiative, dubbed “PsychedeliCare,” will seek to establish a transnational legal framework around psychedelic therapy in the union, and proposes several objectives, including supporting the establishment of an expert consensus on standards of psychedelic care, with psychological support, therapist training, ethical guidelines and safety measures.  Check it out: https://www.greenmarketreport.com/eu-initiative-begins-bid-to-open-access-to-psychedelic-therapies/

Mount Sinai Health System in New York opened an expansion of its psychedelic psychotherapy research center, and announced a foundational $5 million gift from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

The new location is designed to support the Center's capacity to facilitate a growing number of rigorous clinical trials that focus on compounds such as MDMA, psilocybin, and ketamine.

The Center is currently developing protocols for several studies, including pivotal group therapy studies, which required the creation of a large group space. Its expanded capacity will allow for multiple simultaneous dosing sessions and group integration sessions, essential for advancing this critical work.  Here’s more: https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2024/mount-sinai-expands-psychedelic-research-center-with-new-facility-in-upper-manhattan

Did you know that there’s a Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus that, last month, released a request for information from the public?

The bi-partisan Caucus, founded by Republican Congressman Jack Bergman and Democrat Congressman Lou Correa, has a mandate of creating a regulatory framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelics.

The lawmakers said they’re seeking to better understand “how to implement programs and policies that address the range of complex issues with potential novel therapies that may use a psychedelic or entactogenic drug in medically supervised and interpersonally supportive settings.”

Anyone with any relevant information to present to the Caucus have been invited to do so before November 5, 2024.  The Congressmen are specifically interested in hearing from folks who have received psychedelics-assisted therapy and those working in the behavioral health community. You can contact them with your input and feedback at PATH@mail.house.gov.