In this episode, my guest is Dr. Rayyan Zafar, a scientist at Imperial College London who is researching how psychedelic therapy can be used to treat behavioral addictions such as gambling, alcoholism and opiate use.

We take a journey through the history of psychedelic research, talking about how they have been historically maligned and the potential that psychedelic therapy has for treating mental health disorders. Dr Zafar explains the role of Neuropsychopharmacology in studying the effects of drugs on the brain and how psychedelics work on the brain's neurochemistry. The conversation covers the classification of drugs, the addictiveness of different substances, and the safety profile of psychedelics compared to other drugs.

Dr. Zafar also highlights groundbreaking research on psychedelic therapy for treatment-resistant depression and the potential that they psychedelics have to revolutionise mental health treatment. By disrupting neurophysiological pathways associated with mental health disorders and introduce entropy in the brain, psychadelics can open a window of opportunity for relearning and adapting to better ways of thinking.

We talk about the Entropic Brain theory which outlines how psychedelics can put the brain into a state of greater plasticity so that established thought patterns can be remoulded and reset the brain in order to change the way we think. Research has shown that psychedelics are highly effective in dealing with treatment-resistant depression and addiction-related disorders.

We also talk about the commercial potential for the psychedelic pharmaceutical sector as well as the use of biomarkers, brain scanning, and AI to rive the selection of Psychotherapeutic packages and treatments. We finish by talking about how brain computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to revolutionize treatment delivery and improve diagnostics in psychiatry and addiction.

Key Topics

00:00 Introduction to Psychedelic Therapy

09:29 The Safety and Addictiveness of Psychedelics

28:10 The Neurochemistry of Psychedelics

35:44 The Future of Psychedelic Therapy

41:01 Psychedelics and the Brain: Disrupting Neurophysiological Pathways

45:19 Psychedelics in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders

48:40 The Growing Psychedelic Pharmaceutical Sector

01:00:38 Advancements in Biomarkers, Brain Scanning, and AI

01:09:28 The Future of Treatment Delivery and Diagnostics: Brain Computer Interfaces