Psychedelic Drugs may Respark ‘Critical Learning’ Regions in the Brain
LSD, MDMA and psilocybin have been shown to re-spark the brain’s ability for “social learning” — here’s how.
The psychedelic renaissance is opening a variety of interesting use cases for drugs once associated with nothing more than laser beams, loud music and hippy culture.
But now research from multiple sources indicates that psychedelics may help remove the brakes on adult neuroplasticity, “inducing a state similar to that of neurodevelopment,” also known as a “critical learning period,” according to a recent study published in Frontiers.
Once this critical learning period closes, shortly after adolescents and into early adulthood, it becomes “nearly impossible to acquire certain abilities,” NewScientist reports.
Imagine the brain as a clay pot. You can mould it while it is fresh (young) but it eventually hardens over time — set in stone almost. Take language for example. Learning a new language once you get older — generally speaking — is much harder, compared to when you are younger.
Psychedelics may also “create an optimal brain state during which environmental input has enduring effects,” the paper says.
