In this conversation, I speak with Matthew Wall, PhD, about the effects of psilocybin and other classic psychedelics on the human brain.

Matthew Wall is a psychologist specializing in psychedelics and functional MRI (fMRI) neuroimaging. He earned his PhD in Cognitive and Brain Sciences from the University of Cambridge. Currently, he leads MRI Applications at Perceptive London and serves as an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London.

Learn more about Matthew Wall's work: https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/matthew.wall

Episode chapters:

00:00:00 Defining "Classic" Psychedelics: Psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and Mescaline

00:02:47 How Matthew Wall Got Involved in Psychedelic Research and His Motivations

00:09:00 Effectiveness of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression

00:16:40 Insights from Larger Clinical Trials on Psilocybin's Effect on Depressive Symptoms

00:22:32 Comparing the Acute and Sustained Effects of Psychedelics vs. SSRIs for Depression

00:32:12 Understanding fMRI, Resting State Functional Connectivity (RSFC), and Arterial Spin Labeling

00:39:59 The Acute Effects of Classic Psychedelics on Global and Modular Brain Network Integration

00:47:57 Potential Risks, the Importance of Psychotherapy in Psychedelic Treatment, and Reopening Critical Learning Periods

01:07:48 Effects of Psychedelics on the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Other Key Brain Areas Like the Amygdala

01:33:36 Long-Term Effects of Psilocybin on Personality and The Future of Psychedelic Therapy