Field: Psychology
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.
Psilocybin may impact your ego center
You’ve heard about “ego death” on magic mushrooms. New research suggests psilocybin curbs part of the brain that may tie in to ego.
The science behind your crazy pandemic dreams
If you’ve been having strange dreams and poor sleep during lockdown, you’re not alone. The anxiety-inducing pandemic, less activity, and more screen-time have many more people struggling with insomnia than usual.
New evidence of memory consolidation while we sleep
Thanks to brain implants, scientists have the first direct evidence of “offline replay” in humans, a process thought to be key to memory consolidation.
Reading your digital signature to detect depression, Parkinson’s
Digital phenotyping uses our smartphones to detect anything from Parkinson's disease to mental health disorders.
The case for love-enhancing drugs
Drugs don’t just affect the user; they shape relationships too. And a pair of bioethicists thinks we should consider them for relationship enhancement.
Reminiscence therapy is helping seniors at “dementia villages”
At a growing number of “dementia villages,” staff members use reminiscence therapy to help seniors return to a time when they felt happy and safe.
Series| Dope Science
I use ketamine for depression – here’s how it works Commonly known as a party drug, ketamine’s powerful effects on the brain have led doctors to further explore its medical potential. Now, the animal anesthetic is providing relief and hope for people with severe depression.
Intro to LSD
LSD, also known as acid, is a synthetic chemical that causes hallucinations, synesthesia, and sometimes, distress - the dreaded “bad trip.”
New PTSD therapy dulls the sting of painful memories
A Canadian researcher’s reconsolidation therapy is helping people overcome PTSD by allowing them to edit painful memories to be less emotionally impactful.
MDMA effects, risks, and rewards explained
MDMA, also known as Molly or Ecstasy, is a synthetic psychoactive drug. MDMA effects include enhanced pleasure and a heightened sense of touch and sound.
Improv for anxiety
In a judgement-free setting, improv requires the mind to focus on the present, providing natural anxiety relief for performers.
Ibogaine: The psychedelic cure?
Ibogaine, an African psychedelic drug which comes from the iboga plant, is used for both religious rites and drug addiction treatment.
Trash-talking robots get under our skin
Can robots control us? Probably not, but they can influence our actions, as this recent study on human-robot interaction by Carnegie Mellon shows.
Take a trip to Johns Hopkins' new psychedelic research center
Johns Hopkins is throwing its considerable clout behind the fast-growing field of psychedelic research, pouring $17 million into a research center to study the hallucinogenic drugs.
What wolves can teach us about human connection
Wolves are not often thought of as therapy animals, but Wolf Connections is changing that perception while helping young people in the process.
This child psychiatrist is saving refugees from trauma
With the right intervention at the right time, a trauma can be recorded in the memory as non-traumatic and in many cases the devastating effects of PTSD in children refugees can be avoided.
Is the future of therapy… virtual? A look into virtual reality therapy
The immersive world of VR may have therapeutic benefits for people combating phobias, anxiety, and PTSD.
Is autism a mysterious medical condition or part of the spectrum of human diversity?
Rethinking Autism: Interview with NeuroTribes Author Steve Silberman
Can people with autism help create next-generation AI?
Daivergent is a new startup that hires people with autism to train artificial intelligence - and helps them start independent careers.
The joy of being wrong
In partnership with John Templeton Foundation
Can practicing intellectual humility make us smarter and happier? Science says yes.
These hero pups are helping veterans and prisoners heal
Hero Pups is an organization providing support dogs for military veterans and first responders. Now, prison inmates are helping train them - with great results.
A day in the life of a 'violence interruptor'
Freethink followed Andre T. Mitchell, the founder of Man Up!, and his violence interrupter team for a day in...
Can cognitive behavioral therapy break the cycle of violence?
CBT is a promising way to reduce violence, so why has it been so hard to scale?
Steven Pinker makes the case for optimism
Are things really worse than ever, or are we missing the bigger picture?
Series| Crossing the Divide
Having your views challenged is a good thing When we encounter ideas we don’t like, we often shut them down. Professor John Inazu explains why that’s a bad thing and what we can do to fix it.
Series| Crossing the Divide
The conservative radio host urging people to break out of their bubbles Charlie Sykes, a conservative radio host and author of "How the Right Lost Its Mind", explains the dangers of...
Series| Crossing the Divide
How to negotiate the nonnegotiable Insights on working through conflict with Harvard's top negotiation expert.
Can a single conversation really change someone's mind? This research says yes.
After studying a team of canvassers, two researchers found that a single conversation can have a significant and...
This week in ideas: How to form good habits, the case against empathy, and a miracle cure derailed
From how to make good habits (and keep them) to a crisis at the NIH, it's a new edition of our week in ideas.