Stay up to date on the latest research in psychedelic medicine

Every month, around 100 new studies on psychedelics are published, adding to what we know about these substances. To help clinicians and practitioners stay up-to-date with the most important findings, the Psychedelic Provider Network has teamed up with Blossom to review the latest studies.

June 2025 Research Summary

During June 2025, 147 new research papers on psychedelics were published. To help clinicians and practitioners stay informed about the latest research, the Psychedelic Provider Network has partnered with Blossom. This month, our review focuses on three studies that advance our understanding of psilocybin and DMT.

First, we will examine a large mixed-methods analysis that explores how psychedelic use can enhance a person's sense of meaning in life and how this mechanism contributes to improved mental health outcomes. Next, we will assess a long-term follow-up from a clinical trial demonstrating the sustained antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of a single dose of psilocybin for patients with cancer. Finally, we will review the first randomized controlled trial investigating the safety, tolerability, and subjective effects of vaporized DMT.

To provide a broader context for the academic research, we will also briefly discuss recent commercial trial results related to psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT for treatment-resistant depression. Together, these findings offer important insights into the therapeutic mechanisms, long-term outcomes, and safety profiles of these compounds, which can help guide clinical practice.

Enhancing Meaning in Life Through Psychedelics

A central aspect of recovery from mental health conditions is often the restoration of a sense of purpose and meaning. A new analysis of three studies provides robust evidence that psychedelic experiences can reliably enhance this "meaning in life," and that this enhancement is linked to improved mental health. The study’s strength comes from its use of converging data from three distinct settings: a randomized clinical trial for depression, a controlled study with healthy volunteers, and a large naturalistic study of individuals at psychedelic retreats. This approach increases confidence that the findings are applicable across different populations and contexts.

The mixed-methods analysis included data from 973 participants. To measure changes, researchers used the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), which distinguishes between two key aspects: the "presence of meaning" (feeling one's life has value and purpose) and the "search for meaning" (actively seeking purpose). The study examined how psychedelic use affected these scores and how those changes related to mental health outcomes and the nature of the acute psychedelic experience itself.

Across all three contexts, the researchers found a consistent and strong increase in the "presence of meaning" subscale following a psychedelic experience, an effect that was sustained for at least six months in the retreat-based study. In contrast, changes in the "search for meaning" were modest and less consistent, with only a small decrease observed in the naturalistic study. These enhancements in life meaning were also moderately correlated with improvements in mental health, such as reduced depression symptoms and increased overall well-being.

For clinicians, this study helps clarify one of the psychological mechanisms through which psychedelic therapy may work. The findings suggest that long-term benefits are connected to the quality of the acute experience, with greater increases in meaning linked to more intense mystical, ego-dissolution, and emotional breakthrough experiences. These profound subjective states appear to facilitate a shift in perspective that allows individuals to find new or renewed meaning in their lives, which in turn supports their mental health.

Sustained Benefits of Psilocybin for Depression

Treating depression in patients with cancer presents a significant clinical challenge, as standard daily antidepressants often have limited efficacy and notable side effects in this population. A long-term follow-up from a Phase II trial provides encouraging evidence for an alternative approach. The study found that a single 25mg dose of psilocybin combined with psychological support can provide substantial and lasting benefits for these patients.

This follow-up analysis tracked 28 participants from the original trial for two years after their single psilocybin session. The results were robust: at the two-year mark, 54% of participants showed a significant reduction in depression, with half of the total group (50%) meeting the criteria for sustained remission. Anxiety was also significantly reduced for 46% of participants. These findings are particularly noteworthy as they demonstrate a durable effect from a single intervention, a stark contrast to the daily regimen required for conventional antidepressants.

The average reduction in depression scores from baseline (a 15-point drop on the MADRS scale) is impressive. However, for practitioners, it is important to place these findings in the context of larger, more recent commercial drug trials. For instance, a recent Phase III trial from Compass Pathways investigating a 25mg dose of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) reported a more modest result: a 3.6-point difference between the psilocybin and placebo groups on the same MADRS scale.

This apparent discrepancy does not invalidate the promising results of the cancer trial but instead highlights several key considerations for clinicians. First, the 15-point drop in the cancer study was a raw change from baseline in an open-label trial without a placebo comparison, whereas the 3.6-point figure from the Compass trial is a placebo-adjusted effect size. It is a well-established pattern that smaller, open-label studies often show larger effects than large-scale, placebo-controlled trials. Furthermore, the cancer trial included intensive psychological support, a variable that current larger commercial trials are limiting.

Safety and Viability of Short-Acting Psychedelics

The potential clinical utility of short-acting psychedelics was advanced this month with the publication of the first randomized, double-blind clinical trial of vaporized DMT. Short-acting compounds are of significant interest because their brief duration could make them more practical to administer in standard clinical settings. This foundational study provides rigorous data supporting this model.

The trial, which included 25 healthy participants in a crossover design, demonstrated that a 60mg dose of vaporized DMT was safe, well-tolerated, and effective at inducing profound altered states of consciousness, with subjective effects comparable in intensity to longer-acting psychedelics. For practitioners, the key safety findings are reassuring: physiological changes, such as increased blood pressure and heart rate, were transient and returned to baseline within 12 minutes, and adverse events were predominantly mild and related to inhalation discomfort.

This academic validation of a short-acting psychedelic provides important context for recent developments in the commercial sector, where significant progress is being made with a similar compound, 5-MeO-DMT. Notably, Beckley Psytech recently announced positive results from its Phase 2b study of an intranasal 5-MeO-DMT formulation for TRD. These parallel developments in both academic and commercial research underscore the growing interest in this class of rapid-acting compounds.

For clinicians, the primary appeal of these substances is the potential for a treatment that can be delivered within a two-hour clinical window, similar to the current protocol for esketamine (Spravato). This streamlined approach could make psychedelic-assisted therapy far more scalable and easier to integrate into existing healthcare systems. However, this model typically involves less integrated psychological support compared to therapies with longer-acting psychedelics, a factor that may be desirable for scalability but may not be suitable for all patients.

The Beckley trial reported a rapid and durable antidepressant effect, with an approximate 11 to 12-point mean reduction in MADRS scores at day 29 in the active dose groups. While this large reduction contrasts with the more modest 3.6-point placebo-adjusted difference seen in the recent Phase III psilocybin trial, it is essential for clinicians to interpret these numbers with caution. Direct cross-trial comparisons are unreliable due to major differences in the compounds, patient populations, and trial designs, such as the use of an active low-dose comparator versus an inert placebo. Nonetheless, these results signal a promising new direction for accessible psychedelic treatments.

---

June 2025 in Psychedelic Research

The research from June 2025 offers clinicians valuable new information on the therapeutic mechanisms, long-term efficacy, and practical application of psychedelics. A large, mixed-methods analysis provided strong evidence that enhancing a person's "meaning in life" is a key psychological mechanism through which psychedelics improve mental health. The finding that psychedelic use reliably increases the presence of meaning, and that this is linked to reduced depression, gives practitioners a tangible framework for helping clients integrate their experiences.

A two-year follow-up study of cancer patients with depression strengthened evidence for the long-term benefits of psilocybin. The finding that a single dose led to sustained remission for half the participants is highly encouraging. However, when placed in the context of recent large-scale commercial trials, which show more modest placebo-adjusted effects, it serves as an important reminder for clinicians to manage patient expectations regarding the magnitude of benefit and underscores the potential influence of intensive therapeutic support.

Finally, the field saw important progress in the development of short-acting psychedelics. A foundational randomized controlled trial confirmed that vaporized DMT is safe and effective at inducing a brief but profound experience. This academic work is complemented by promising commercial trial results for 5-MeO-DMT, which is being developed for a two-hour clinical model. This streamlined approach could significantly improve treatment accessibility, though it may offer a different therapeutic experience with less integrated psychological support than longer-acting protocols.

Together, these studies help refine our understanding of how these therapies work, their long-term potential, and how they might be implemented in real-world clinical practice. The findings provide practitioners with a more nuanced perspective on the mechanisms, effect sizes, and practical models of care, supporting more informed clinical decision-making.