01/14/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BV1KBYfAc/
A neurologist volunteered his own brain to science—and watched it rewire itself under the influence of psilocybin.
In a rare act of scientific self-experimentation, Nico Dosenbach, a neurologist at Washington University School of Medicine, became both researcher and test subject in a closely monitored study of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms.”
As part of a small clinical trial involving seven adults, Dosenbach received either a high dose of psilocybin (25 mg) or a comparison drug (Ritalin). He then underwent nearly 18 MRI brain scans taken before dosing, during the acute psychedelic state, and repeatedly for up to three weeks afterward. At first, he didn’t know which substance he had been given. When his thoughts began feeling unusually abstract—what he later described as “computer thoughts”—he recognized he was experiencing an altered state of consciousness, though not a frightening one.
The goal of the study, published in Nature, was to understand how psychedelics disrupt ordinary perception of self, time, and space—and why these experiences are increasingly linked to potential treatments for depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions.
The brain scans revealed that psilocybin temporarily disrupts the brain’s default mode network, a system involved in self-reflection, daydreaming, and autobiographical memory. According to lead researcher Joshua Siegel, this short-term “desynchronization” appears to trigger the psychedelic experience itself. More importantly, it may open a window of heightened brain plasticity, allowing neural networks to become more flexible rather than stuck in rigid, negative patterns of thought.
While the most dramatic effects faded within hours, subtle changes in brain connectivity persisted for weeks. Dosenbach described this pattern as ideal for a medicine: a powerful but brief acute effect, followed by smaller, longer-lasting changes—without ongoing disruption to normal brain function.
Researchers caution that these findings do not support casual or unsupervised use of psychedelics. Instead, they reinforce the importance of controlled, clinical environments where dosing, monitoring, and psychological support are carefully managed.
Together, the results offer a rare, inside-the-brain look at how psilocybin may help people reset deeply ingrained mental habits—while reminding us that powerful tools demand responsible use.
Sources
Landymore, F. (2024, July 20). Scientist takes high dose of psilocybin, clambers into MRI machine to scan his own brain. Futurism.
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. (2024). Mushrooms generate psychedelic experience by disrupting brain network [Press release].
