Ketamine is as effective as ECT for depression, study shows
A trial of patients with treatment-resistant depression found ketamine to be at least as effective as electroconvulsive therapy.
Nope, coffee won’t give you extra energy
You might feel like coffee gives you the energy to get through the day – but chances are, you're not getting as much as you think.
To be a happier, more successful person, get off the “hedonic treadmill”
Eudaimonic pursuits are outwardly focused, whereas hedonic activities are concerned with self-centered fulfillment.
3 key activities will make you “antifragile”
Resilience is vital for dealing with failure, and stems from three traits: self-esteem, psychological flexibility, and emotional regulation.
Amish gene study finds clues to mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder
Researchers have turned to this unique genetic population to find insights into how our genes play a role in mental health.
Potential way to treat anorexia found in microbiome
New research links the gut microbiome, an ecosystem of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, to the development of anorexia nervosa.
LSD flashbacks and a psychedelic disorder that can last forever
LSD flashbacks have been studied for decades, though scientists still aren't quite sure why some people experience them.
More Americans than ever have no friends. Here are 5 steps to make more friends.
The last decade has seen a steep drop in adult friendships and a worrying increase in loneliness. Is this the cost of our modern life?
The vicious cycle of food and sleep
More than a third of Americans don’t log enough hours in bed, provoking serious health impacts. Diet is an important, under-recognized reason.
“Relationships 5.0”: Are people going to start dating AI?
Online dating is so mainstream that you’re an outlier if you haven’t met your partner on an app — so why not AI?
Emotions get better with age
As people grow older, they gain greater control of their feelings. How do they do that — and can they teach young people a thing or two?
How frontotemporal dementia, the syndrome affecting Bruce Willis, changes the brain
What is FTD, the type of dementia that leads to inappropriate social behavior, impulsivity, and loss of empathy?
The imagination effect: A history of placebo power
The famous placebo effect has a long, rich history — it certainly had an outsized role in the medicine of centuries past.
Dignity therapy: Making the last words count
Guided conversations with the terminally ill are popular with patients, families and doctors. But are they truly beneficial?
Macaque monkeys shrink their social networks as they age — just like elderly people
Macaque monkeys reduce their social networks as they get older – research suggests evolutionary roots of the same pattern in elderly people.
The secrets of cooperation
Most people care what others think of them. In many situations, that can be leveraged for the common good — cooperation.
The case for viewing depression as a consciousness disorder
A new hypothesis explains depression as an altered state of consciousness, which could help researchers make an objective diagnostic test.
Large language models are biased. Can logic help save them?
MIT researchers trained logic-aware language models to reduce harmful stereotypes like gender and racial biases.
AI isn’t close to becoming sentient, we just think it is
To what extent will our psychological vulnerabilities shape our interactions with emerging technologies? AI will be the test.
Psychedelics open a new window on the mechanisms of perception
Some neuroscientists think psychedelics and the hallucinations they induce could help reveal how we generate our perceptions of the world.
Here’s how your sleep affects your immune system
Researchers found that patients who slept less than six hours a night were 27% more likely to have an infection.
“Digital detoxes” don’t work. Try these 4 skills instead
Digital distractions have become a ubiquitous part of work and life. But these distractions begin with emotional discomfort.
Space travel will radically change human psychology and spirituality
We are living in a period of living and traveling in space. If we continue on this trajectory, we will develop new spiritual views.
Psychedelics are helping dying patients overcome their existential distress
End of life patients face existential and spiritual challenges other patients do not. Psychedelics may be uniquely suited to helping them.
Will “The Singularity” rescue us from death?
In transhumanism, "The Singularity" promises possibility of uploading your consciousness into silicon, guaranteeing a kind of immortality.
Yoga: Modern research shows a variety of benefits to both body and mind from the ancient practice
Researchers have begun to study yoga's effects and are finding that it has great benefits for both mental and physical health.
Mindfulness can slow down the brain’s aging and more
The benefits of practicing mindfulness carry over into everyday life – even when you aren’t actively meditating.
Why changing your mind is a feature of evolution, not a bug
Reasoning by yourself is a much weaker tool than contributing your reasoning to a group and being flexible to changing your mind.
The most undervalued problem-solving tool? Lateral thinking.
Lateral thinking is a way of approaching problems. It deliberately forgoes obvious approaches in favor of oblique or unexpected ones.
Study suggests that exercise should be prescribed to mental health patients
Researchers concluded that exercise should be prescribed to patients with mental health issues before psychiatric drugs.
Neuroscientists recommend more carbs and less coffee to combat seasonal depression
Taking small steps to help your circadian rhythm adjust to winter could mean happier times during what are literally the darkest days.
AI-based theory explains your weird dreams
Researchers suggest that dreaming helps us generalize our experiences so that we can adapt to new circumstances.
How exercise changes your brain biology and protects your mental health
A psychiatrist and neuroscientist began to think of prescribing exercise as telling patients to take their “exercise pills.”
“Personalized curriculums” could get kids to care about school again
Personalized learning has to potential to prepare learners who are self-regulating and self-motivated for life beyond school.
Anxiety treatment in early childhood can lower long-term mental health risks
Some anxiety is normal and, in fact, necessary and helpful. But what happens when it interferes with a child's daily functioning?
A new class of antidepressant works in 2 hours
Most types of antidepressants work by increasing neurotransmitter levels throughout the brain, which take weeks. A new drug takes hours.
Parents: Don’t focus on happiness, help build resilience instead
Happiness emerges from resilience, which helps children regulate difficult emotions and stressful situations.
How neuroscience can make us better parents
Kids' brains develop in four main stages. Each has its own particular set of advancements and challenges for parents.
Exercise boosts the brain — and mental health
New research is revealing how physical activity can reduce and even ward off depression, anxiety and other psychological ailments.
The science of habits
Whether you’re trying to break a bad habit or start a good one, psychologists have some tips to get you started.
How college in prison is leading professors to rethink how they teach
College in prison reduces the chance of reoffending, but it also dramatically changes the perspective of the professors who teach them.
Good and bad memories are stored in different neurons, study finds
Positive and negative memories are stored in different parts of the brain, raising the possibility of therapeutic memory manipulation.
New “risky” playground could make kids anti-fragile
A new playground in Melbourne’s Southbank is the work of artist Mike Hewson, who introduces "risk" back into play.
“Laughing gas” may offer quick, long-lasting relief from depression
With ketamine showing potential as an antidepressant, researchers investigate another anesthetic: nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas."
“Freakonomics” study offers simple strategy for making tough decisions
People who chose change over inaction, regardless of the decision, self-reported being better off and happier after six months.
The missing apex of Maslow’s hierarchy could save us all
In his later years, psychologist Abraham Maslow added a new apex to the pyramid of human needs: self-transcendence.
Withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants can last over a year
A scientific review found that withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants and antipsychotics can last for over a year.
Three reasons “you” won’t return after this life
Entire religions are constructed around theories of an afterlife, but former monk Stephen Batchelor lists three reasons you won't come back.
If you want people to like you, try talking more, not less
People tend to think they should speak less than half the time to be likable but more than half the time to be interesting.
Creatine, a popular exercise supplement, might help treat depression
Creatine shows promise as a treatment for depression, boosting the effects of SSRIs and potentially working as a standalone medication.
Are near-death experiences just psychedelic trips? 
One possible explanation of near death experiences is that our brains are flooded with a hallucinogenic, DMT.
Identical twins were raised in different countries. Here’s how they differ today.
After being separated as toddlers, two identical twins were raised apart in the US and South Korea.
Americans are becoming more likely to cooperate with strangers, not less
Americans are more likely to cooperate with strangers today than they were in the 1950s, according to the American Psychological Association.
How to be happy: Aristotle’s 11 guidelines for a good life
In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle proposed that humans are social, rational animals who seek to “live well.”
Procrastinating is linked to health and career problems – but here’s how you can stop
In the long run, procrastination isn’t an effective way of managing emotions and causes health and work setbacks.
This 20-year chart of depression diagnoses shows an incredible shift 
People are being diagnosed with depression earlier than in the past because of a decrease in stigma and better diagnostic guidelines.
To make great changes in your life, follow the philosophy of kaizen
Kaizen asks us to make small changes, slowly and over time. It's a hard skill to master in an age of instant gratification.
An ancient technique can improve your attention span
Life's modern distractions, such as news and social media, have overwhelmed our evolutionarily designed attention spans.
Is your mind just a parasite on your physical body?
What if there is nothing special about self-awareness? What if it is just evolutionary dead weight, bound to disappear soon?
Mathematicians suggest the “37% rule” for life’s biggest decisions
Mathematicians tell us that, to maximize the chances of the best outcome, we ought to ditch the first 37% of any options.
The Biden administration is preparing for legal psychedelics within two years 
The Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services has sent a memo supportive of psychedelic therapies. What does that mean for the field?
Your genes may impact psychedelic experiences 
UNC researchers have found evidence that the genetic makeup of a crucial receptor may impact your psychedelic experience.
The 5-hour rule: How to turn a wasted day into a successful one
The 5-hour rule asks us to devote at least one hour a day to learning, experimenting, and reflecting. Here's how to make it work for you.
Widom of Daoism: why Yin-Yang is so much more than a tattoo
Yin-Yang symbolizes not a conflict or struggle but shows that nothing in life is solely either this or that.
Nurturing dads raise emotionally intelligent kids
Nurturing dads raise more emotionally intelligent children, helping make society more respectful and equitable.
VR exposure therapy app lets you face phobias on your own terms 
Exposure therapy is a reliable technique for overcoming irrational fears, but it currently suffers high patient dropout rates.
The Four Enemies to a happy life and how to defeat them
Buddhist psychologists, Robert Thurman and Sharon Salzberg, have identified "Four Enemies" that are obstacles to a happy, fulfilled life.
Crows are self-aware just like us, says new study
Crows and the rest of the corvid family keep turning out to be smarter and smarter. A corvid's pallium has more neurons than a great ape's.
People who read live longer than those who don’t, Yale researchers say
A study by Yale researchers finds that reading books in particular returns cognitive gains that increase longevity.
Psychedelic research returns to Veterans Affairs 
After decades, the Department of Veterans Affairs is once again investigating psychedelic therapies.
Do optimists really live longer? Here’s what the research says
Research shows if you cultivate a more optimistic mindset, you might further increase your chances for a long life.
Google has not created sentient AI — yet 
Google can make AI seem sentient, but the AI has no understanding of what it is saying. But humans are easily fooled by conversational AI.
How the brain responds to surprising events
Unexpected outcomes trigger release of noradrenaline, which helps the brain focus its attention and learn from the event.
Magic mushrooms evolved to scramble insect brains, send them on wild, scary trips 
Researchers discovered that the way fungi independently gained the ability to produce psilocybin is because of horizontal gene transfer.
Theory of mind: What chess and drug dealers can teach you about manipulation
Every social interaction is a game of chess, trying to get inside someone’s head to navigate what they are thinking or what they will do.
Geopsychology: Your personality depends on where you live
Scientists in the relatively new field of “geopsychology” are seeing links between personality and location.
How a healthy sex life can help minimize depression and anxiety symptoms
When you struggle with anxiety or depression, sex may be the last thing on your mind. But it can be a tool for well-being.
Babble hypothesis shows key factor to becoming a leader
Researchers show that intelligence is not the most important factor in leadership, simply talking the most is.
People trust AI fake faces more than real ones, research suggests 
Fake faces created by artificial intelligence (AI) are considered more trustworthy than images of real people, a study finds.
Death: how long are we conscious for and does life really flash before our eyes?
Seeing one’s life flashing before one’s eye might be our ultimate attempt – however desperate – to find meaning in our lives.
AI maps psychedelic “trip” experiences to regions of the brain – opening new route to psychiatric treatments 
To better understand how these effects manifest in the brain, we analyzed over 6,000 written testimonials of hallucinogenic experiences.
Clues to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder hidden in the dark genome 
A new study suggests that the causes of these disorders are hidden in "dark genes," which may account for the enigma of their development.
Psychosomatic illness: Are some diseases caused by our memories?
The brain appears to remember immune responses, and memories can trigger them to happen again.
Therapy can relieve chronic back pain by rewiring the brain
A psychological treatment for chronic back pain left two-thirds of study participants with little-to-no pain after just one month.
IBS treatment app helps patients reprogram their minds
An IBS treatment app that facilitates cognitive behavior therapy helped trial participants manage symptoms and improve their quality of life.
MDMA for PTSD just crushed its phase 3 trial
Results from the first phase 3 trial of using MDMA for PTSD along with talk therapy found the drug to be effective.
Phase 2 trial finds psychedelic works as well as common drug 
A small study has provided evidence of psilocybin for depression working as well as a popular SSRI.
How gratitude makes you more attractive
In partnership with John Templeton Foundation
New research shows that having an attitude of gratitude is key to healthy relationships, and it can virally impact society.
NYU is launching a center for psychedelic medicine
NYU’s Center for Psychedelic Medicine will serve as the nexus for the school’s psychedelic research, as well as provide training to budding researchers.
Oral ketamine treatment reduced suicidal thoughts: Pilot study
A new, small study in Australia suggests that oral ketamine treatment may help treat suicidal thoughts.
Mount Sinai is opening a psychedelic research center
A pacesetting institution, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is opening a psychedelic research center focusing on MDMA and trauma.
Want better science? Learn how to lie (with magic).
Some experiment designs need to deceive. These former magicians have some advice.
Your moral compass could be broken
In partnership with John Templeton Foundation
If we can better understand the evolution of our moral compass, psychologists believe we can begin working toward a society built on empathy over judgement.
Do apologies even matter?
In partnership with John Templeton Foundation
Science is finally proving that the act of apologizing can save and strengthen a relationship that’s been damaged by conflict.
Is free will an illusion?
In partnership with John Templeton Foundation
Philosophers have been making the claim that free will is an illusion for hundreds of years. What does modern neuroscience have to say about it?
App brings psychedelic-assisted therapy into your home
The Field Trip app aims to help people get some of the benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy outside the confines of a clinic.
Remote therapy is as effective as face-to-face, for depression
The pandemic has therapists' couches off limits. A new study finds that remote therapy may be as effective for depression as face-to-face, so I gave it a try.
MDMA has long-lasting benefits as a PTSD treatment 
The benefits of MDMA therapy as a PTSD treatment appear to last for at least a year, according to a newly published paper.
Can an app help you have better sex?
An app created by a sex therapist is helping couples learn how to have better sex by exploring their own desires and discovering their partner’s.