Scientists Found a Common Brain 'Fingerprint' Across 5 Psychedelics

A pooled fMRI analysis of 267 people and 519 scans found a shared brain connectivity signature across five psychedelics: psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, and ayahuasca.

The common pattern included stronger communication between major brain networks and weaker connectivity within some networks.

The signature was most similar between psilocybin and LSD.

The results suggest psychedelics may share a core brain mechanism, which could help explain hallucinations and guide new treatments for depression and substance use disorders.