Consciousness and Psilocybin Effects on Well-Being: the (CoPEWell) Study

Overview:

This project aims to determine whether the Perception Box-expanding effects of psilocybin depend on conscious awareness during the acute psychedelic experience or result from the drug’s non-conscious neurobiological effects.

Abstract: 

This project, the Consciousness and Psilocybin Effects on Well-Being (CoPEWell) Study, aims to determine whether the Perception Box-expanding effects of psilocybin depend on conscious awareness during the acute psychedelic experience or result from the drug’s non-conscious neurobiological effects. By leveraging a design that administers psilocybin to participants both awake and in deep sleep, this study seeks to disentangle the role of conscious psychedelic experiences from underlying neurobiological mechanisms in driving changes in measures, such as well-being and psychological flexibility, that reflect Perception Box expansion.



The Perception Box-expanding potential of psilocybin has been linked to transformative psychedelic experiences. However, preclinical research in animals suggests that psilocybin’s effects on basic, non-conscious neurobiological pathways might independently drive its therapeutic benefits. This study addresses the fundamental question of whether the conscious psychedelic experience is essential to these benefits or whether they can be achieved through non-conscious mechanisms.

Broader Impact:

The CoPEWell Study will address a central question in psychedelic science: Are psilocybin’s lasting therapeutic benefits driven by the conscious psychedelic experience or by underlying non-conscious neurobiological mechanisms? By comparing outcomes from psilocybin administered during wakefulness and deep sleep, the study will clarify whether conscious awareness is necessary for improvements in well-being, psychological flexibility, and social connectedness.