比較早期的功能性磁振造影研究著重在找某個心智活動時,哪個(些)對應的腦部區域會有所活化,說穿了其實跟兩百年前心理學家想做的事情沒甚麼兩樣,那時候盛行的 grandmother cell 的概念就是認為人腦中有不同的細胞負責處理不同的事情,所以可能有個腦細胞就是負責處理自己的 grandmother…(幾年前有個研究就發現有位實驗參與者有腦細胞專門對 Jennifer Aniston 做反應!)當然研究者並沒有因此而滿足,較近期的研究,研究者更想要了解做一個心智活動時,那些腦部區域會共同的運作,並推測之間的因果關係(例如是因為 A 區域活化才造成 B 區域的活化)。當然這些都不是最終的目的,真正的憧憬就是想要讀心,講白話一點就是想要用某些方式看透一個人;於是開始有很多研究在探討怎麼從腦部細胞活化的資料來預測人究竟在想甚麼。
裸蓋菇素的研究引起了美國中央情報局 CIA 的注意,不過不是因為什麼違法亂紀的問題,而是他們⋯⋯也想「瞭解更多」!1950年代 CIA 有項名為 MK-Ultra 2 的精神控制計畫,希望找到一些可以作為吐真劑、審訊和行為操縱工具的潛力藥物。他們的實驗藥物包括裸蓋菇素、迷幻藥 LSD、嗎啡、海洛因、一種萃取自仙人掌的致幻劑麥斯卡林等,並在監獄、醫院、學校,甚至從巧立名目的慈善基金會裡招募試驗對象。3
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Single-dose psilocybin-assisted therapy in major depressive disorder: a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised clinical trial – eClinicalMedicine (thelancet.com)↩︎
Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial | Substance Use and Addiction Medicine | JAMA Psychiatry | JAMA Network↩︎
Long-term Follow-up of Psilocybin-facilitated Smoking Cessation – PMC (nih.gov)↩︎
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