I'm going through Nichols' Psychedelics (2016)

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I'm only about half way through the mechanisms of action right now.

I'm posting the first few comments/questions I wrote as annotations below so that this post passes the minimum character count.

Assumption: we need to understand the "nature of consciousness" AND "its neuronal substrates" to test whether it amplifies the unconscious

Is Nichols mystifying/overcomplicating the idea of consciousness? It needs only be that which exists within awareness, and Grof's idea of amplifying the unconscious is simply bringing into awareness what is normally beneath the surface. This can be tested by defining these concretely and looking for signs of either one

The "anti-serotonin" idea is still talked about today, but I think it may have more to do with the cessation of Raphe nuclei firing which essentially regulates the overall serotonergic tone in the brain, as well as the presynaptic inhibition of serotonin release (5HT1A?).

Net effect is less overall serotonin, but with LSD's increases through specific 1A/2A/C/etc receptors (remember PLC vs PLA2 functional selectivity and downstream effects).

Role of dopamine antagonizing serotonin? recall 5-HT2A-D2 heteromeric complex enhancement in nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum

Raphe as a synchronizer/restrictor for DMN/TPN anti-phase relationship?

Any possible role for psychedelics besides receptor binding? Indoles lay at the foundation of photosynthesis, donating electrons down the ETC when hit by light. Role for mitochondria? Anti-oxidants from breakdown products?

Interesting. Haloperidol was used to identify the dopaminergic second phase of LSD. But surely psilocybin causes dopaminergic activity, no?

Enhanced because less dopamine usually means higher serotonin activity?

Mixed evidence for high vs low dopamine with psychedelics (or with psilocybin at least)