Research into the mind-altering effects of psychedelic drugs does not have to focus solely on their potential role in alleviating the burdens of psychiatric disorders; they may also be key to understanding fundamental processes of our conscious experience. One of the most frequently reported experiences associated with taking psychedelics is “ego dissolution”, wherein one’s concept of a sense of self melts away leaving a feeling of “oneness” with the world. Relying on our senses to make observations is naturally unreliable, however with no ability to measure consciousness, it remains the best place to start. We can, however, peer into the brain and begin to piece together what is happening when the ego fades away.
When a participant is administered a medium to high dose of a classical psychedelic like psilocybin, also known as “magic mushrooms”, the brain begins undergoing enormous changes in the activity of its networks. Psilocybin is a 5HT2A receptor agonist, meaning that it binds and activates a 5HT (serotonin) protein of type 2A receptors that binds to serotonin. The sudden activation of these serotonin receptors across the brain creates a flood of activity both between different networks and within the networks of the brain. Brain networks that usually fire their neurons in synchrony, rapidly desynchronize, and brain regions that do not communicate during normal consciousness, suddenly begin to synchronise their activity. It is thought that this profound change to communication between networks is what leads to effects such as synaesthesia (“seeing sounds” or “tasting words”), and long-lasting changes in thought patterns and emotional responses to memories. In fact, these changes are so drastic that a recent paper investigating the effects of psilocybin on brain synchrony stated that the effects on brain organisation in the same person before and during a trip were as substantial as the difference between two people.
Does this change in organisation reflect something deeper? Well, one network in particular has seen the greatest attention from psychedelic research due to its implications in consciousness. The “default mode network” (DMN) is so named because it connects brain areas that are active while we are doing nothing or at what neuroscientists call “wakeful rest”. It is at these times, when we are not engaging with a task, that our ego is the most active, leading us to imagine future scenarios, reflect on our previous memories, or ruminate on whatever comes to mind. For some, our ego can be highly vocal, for others with anendophasia (a lack of internal monologue), it can be more abstract. When under the effects of psychedelics, brain scans of participants show that their DMN is significantly less active than usual; here, our brain is more active compared to the baseline activity of the DMN! The DMN also acts as an inhibitor, preventing unconnected brain regions from communicating, which contributes to the increased signalling between usually uncommunicative brain regions.
The fact that the DMN is active during wakeful rest is not the only evidence to support its potential role as the source of the ego. Studies have correlated the activity of the DMN with subjective feelings of a sense of self, awareness and rational thinking. Changes in this network are also reflected in psychiatric disorders, where, for example in depression, the DMN is more active than in non-depressed controls, and increased DMN activity can predict a depressive episode. Given the strong association between depression and excessive rumination (i.e. thinking too much about oneself in reflection of the world around them), it is unsurprising that a drug that reduces the DMN activity has been shown to lead to lasting anti-depressive benefits.
The continued research into the effects of psychedelics on the subjective experience raises some engaging psychological questions. Firstly, what do we think about the state of consciousness of someone who does not experience an ego? Is having an ‘I’ necessary to be considered conscious or are you on a different level of consciousness? The psychedelic state is often associated with so-called “levels of consciousness”, implying that their mind-altering effects on the brain either lower or elevate the conscious experience from an everyday baseline. Indeed, irrespective of the level, being able to manipulate the consciousness in this way has the potential to contribute substantially to establishing a unit of consciousness that is measurable.
Much of the psychedelic research that has the limelight is the beneficial mental health effects of taking the drugs in clinical settings as a form of therapy. However, psychedelics, with their ability to manipulate the functioning of the brain, present an incredibly interesting potential for more traditional cognitive research into understanding dimensions of consciousness. Brain networks such as the DMN play a role in our continual feeling of a sense of self. Furthering this understanding of consciousness and the role of the ego will help us to not only further treatment of psychiatric disorders, but also understand more fundamentally how the human mind works.
Psychedelic research has also co-evolved with research on meditation. Studies on the impact of meditation on the DMN have demonstrated a similar, if less pronounced, effect as the psychedelic state, with regular practitioners displaying an overall less active DMN after meditation. Moreover, studies on the phenomenon of “grounding” during a psychedelic trip, revealed that the practice diminishes the increased activity seen across the whole brain. Grounding refers to the act of focusing one’s attention to the surroundings, a practice similar to mindfulness, where one tries to give their full attention to the present moment. Anxiety disorders are frequently associated with increased activity across brain regions, and depression with a hyper-active DMN. Perhaps there may be takeaways already for the potential of meditation and mindfulness in managing temporary bouts of depressive moods and moments of anxiety in our everyday lives.
Author: Thomas Rein
