The Psychopharmacology of Psilocybin

This course introduces clinicians to psilocybin pharmacology, neuroscience, and clinical research that supports what we know about how psilocybin works in the human brain. Participants will become familiar with the concepts of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics as they relate to psilocybin, and be able to explain the processes through which psilocybin causes alterations in perception and the individual sense of self from the perspective of neuroscience. This course gives clinicians the necessary background in psilocybin pharmacology, neuroscience, and clinical research to build a nuanced understanding of how these processes relate to subjective experiences and fundamental changes in human experience that psilocybin can engender.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Discuss the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of psilocybin

• Describe how psilocybin interacts with the human brain

• Discuss the relationship between psilocybin's pharmacological and subjective effects