Psychedelics and Mental Illness: Predictive Processing and What Causes Hallucinations in the Brain

How the cognitive model of predictive processing explains hallucinations and the effects of psychedelic drugs on the brain.

Understand psychedelics and mental illness through the theory of predictive processing, which helps explain what causes hallucinations in the brain. 💡Anti-depressant Course: psycho.farm/antidepressant-course 📖 PsychoFarm's Treating Depression Book: a.co/d/3M0uFui ================ Follow PsychoFarm: 🔴SUBSCRIBE ► youtube.com/c/Psychofarm?sub_confirmation=1 ➡️Music by Plate of Shrimp: open.spotify.com/artist/2FM6iURjEpTOeRsu0KspzL plateofshrimp.bandcamp.com/ 🧠Mental Health Resources: psycho.farm/services-4 ➡️Instagram: instagram.com/thepsychofarm/ ➡️Tiktok: tiktok.com/@thepsychofarm ➡️Twitter: twitter.com/ThePsychoFARM ================ The video transcript discusses the cognitive model of predictive processing and how it can be applied to understand the effects of psychedelic drugs and mystical experiences (psychedelic hallucinations and cognitive model). It explores the etymology of the terms "psychedelic" and "psychotomimetic," tracing their origins to concepts of mind-manifesting and psychosis-mimicking, respectively. The core idea is that psychedelics interfere with the brain's established top-down priors (predictions) and bottom-up sensory inputs, leading to altered perceptions (predictive processing and neurotransmitters). Overactive top-down mechanisms can result in hallucinations, while overactive bottom-up mechanisms can cause delusions and paranoia. This is linked to the functioning of NMDA and AMPA receptors, which are thought to mediate top-down and bottom-up processes, respectively. The video also explores how mystical experiences and hyper-pattern matching, as seen in individuals like Terence McKenna and Carl Jung, may be related to an overactive top-down mechanism that creates a sense of interconnectedness and "all is one" perception (mysticism and pattern matching on psychedelics). Psychedelics are proposed to have antidepressant properties by enabling individuals to perceive connections and uninstall outdated thought patterns or belief systems (antidepressant effects of psilocybin, uninstalling thought patterns with psychedelics). The relationship between psychedelics and mental illness has become a focal point in understanding predictive processing and what causes hallucinations in the brain. Researchers delve into the intricate mechanisms behind psychedelic experiences to elucidate their potential therapeutic effects and their impact on mental health conditions. Predictive processing theory offers a framework to comprehend how the brain generates perceptions, including hallucinations, by integrating sensory information with prior expectations. Understanding what causes hallucinations in the brain involves exploring disruptions in predictive processing, which may contribute to the manifestation of psychotic symptoms in mental illness. As studies progress, insights gained from the interplay of psychedelics, mental illness, and pr