Psychedelics are under active investigation as treatments for several mental health disorders. Under psychedelics, people often report vivid, intense, and sometimes therapeutic, experiences of recalling their life. According to my research, however, the effects of psychedelics on memory are largely unknown (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-025-06771-5). This project uncovers the effects of psychedelics on memory, especially whether they enhance or distort recall of past life events. It includes controlled human trials in collaboration with Maastricht University in the Netherlands, laboratory research at Tampere University with individuals taking psychedelics in different contexts, and research based on surveys and existing reports on memory experiences under psychedelics. The findings are consolidated into a comprehensive model of how psychedelics affect autobiographical memory and guidelines for considering such effects in their therapeutic use and harm reduction.

2026

2030