Profs and Pints Online presents: “New Insights into Psychedelics,” with Bradley M. Cooke, adjunct associate professor of neuroscience and psychology at Georgia State University.

[This talk will remain available in recorded form at the link given here for tickets and access.]

For decades, strict drug laws have made it very difficult to conduct formal research into psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and lysergic acid. Recent years, however, have seen an explosion of studies into these substances and their effects at nearly every level of analysis—from the workings of brain cells to the behavior of lab animals to patients suffering from debilitating anxiety. The results hold tremendous promise for the clinical treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and other causes of distress.

Join cognitive neuroscientist Bradley Cooke online for a talk in which he will discuss recent research findings, interpret the effects of psychedelics on consciousness, and look at what value such substances hold for psychotherapy.

The effects of psychedelic drugs are just beginning to be explored by science and there is much we do not understand. However, when viewed through the framework of a new theory of brain function—termed the “predictive processing model”—their effects offer new insight to one of the greatest mysteries of science: Consciousness.

The predictive processing model says that consciousness is as much about the brain’s best guess about the world as it is about the patterns of energy received by our senses. Using this new model, Dr. Cooke will interpret the effects of psychedelics on consciousness as well as their value for psychotherapy. Might psychedelics help patients revise maladaptive prior beliefs about themselves and the world, thus allowing them to improve their lives? (Ticket: $12.)

Profs & Pints Online: New Insights into Psychedelics