Welcome to this week’s edition of The Guide ⚡️ 

Today’s newsletter takes about 5 minutes to read—so if you’ve only got 60 seconds, here’s what you need to know:

• Psychedelics can turn down and modulate the Default Mode Network (DMN), the brain’s self‑story system, for a short period of time.

• This can bring unity, insight, and flexibility—and may help mental health when paired with support and psychotherapy.

• It can also surface trauma and dissociation, which requires screening, skilled care, and paced dosing, as this can be alarming for some.

• Good outcomes depend on set, setting, and integration, along with establishing intention and expectations.

As you can see, we’re changing things up to provide you the best experience possible while reading our newsletter, so we’re asking our community for their feedback…

❓️ Are there things you want to see? Are there things you DON’T want to see?

❓️ What questions do you have? And what brings you to our newsletter?

The more we know about YOU, the better we can tailor our newsletter to YOU…

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🧠 The Webdelics Team

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📜 Top Article

🧠 Psychedelics & Their Influence on the Brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN)

The Default Mode Network (DMN) is a set of brain areas that light up when we daydream, remember our past, or think about ourselves… You can think of it as the brain’s storyteller that keeps the running narrative of who we are and what we believe.

Classic psychedelics (like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT/ayahuasca) can quiet this network for a short period of time. This shift, described by those under the influence of the medicine, often feels like “ego‑softening”, “ego-death” and perceptions of “feeling a sense of oneness with everything” in the world.

Quieting this system can also lower our emotional defenses that usually keep painful memories out of view when we attempt to process them…

So why is it so important?

📳 Why Modulating The Default Mode Matters

• Potential healing benefits

  • A quieter DMN can reduce rigid, stuck patterns and increase mental flexibility. Some studies link this to improvements in depression when therapy and support are present (Carhart-Harris 2017).

• Big mystical and emotional experiences

  • People sometimes report “mystical‑type” moments—feelings of unity, peace, and deep meaning.

• Possible challenges without adequate support

  • The same opening can unbury trauma or trigger dissociation (feeling detached from self or body). Without the right support, this can be scary or destabilizing… (Carbonaro 2016).

🔬 Here’s What the Research Says…

• Psilocybin reduces DMN coupling

  • Brain scans show weaker links between key DMN hubs during psychedelic sessions. This matches patient reports of ego‑softening and ego-death. (Carhart‑Harris 2012; Muthukumaraswamy 2013)

• Networks talk to each other more

  • While the DMN quiets down, other brain networks connect more widely, creating new thoughts, lines of thinking, and connections. (Madsen 2021; Gattuso 2023)

• Ego‑dissolution under LSD

  • Wider connectivity under LSD tracks with the feeling that the boundary between “me” and the world has thinned. (Tagliazucchi 2016; Lebedev 2015)

• Therapeutic “reset” after sessions

  • In depression studies, the DMN can reorganize after treatment, alongside symptom relief—suggesting a move from rigidity to more flexible patterns of cognitive processing and emotional regulation. (Carhart‑Harris 2017)

• Why this happens (REBUS model)

  • Psychedelics may relax the strong, top‑down beliefs commonly associated with mental health disorders (some of these networks act like “defenses”), letting more raw body and emotional signals have more influence… And while these can be helpful, the can also be very intense. (Carhart‑Harris & Friston 2019)

• Challenging experiences are real

  • Surveys show that a minority of individuals have very hard trips and the risks rise with higher doses and poor support systems before, during, and after these events. (Carbonaro 2016)

• Meditation shows a similar DMN quieting

  • Experienced meditators also show less DMN activity during practice, yielding signs that psychedelics may not always be needed to see similar changes in the brain. (Brewer 2011)

🌓 The “Other Side” of Dissociation and “Parts Work”

Trauma science and theory suggests the personality can split into “everyday” parts and trauma‑related parts that hold pain.

When psychedelics lower DMN control, these parts can show up more clearly… For better, for worse. And while this process can be healing with a skilled guide and careful pacing, it can be very destabilizing without them.

The Psychedelic Iatrogenic Structural Dissociation (PISD) hypothesis warns that poorly supported psychedelic work may amplify dissociation in vulnerable people. (Elfrink & Bergin 2023; van der Hart et al. 2006)

🛟 How to Approach Healing Past Trauma’s Safely

• Screen first!

  • Talk with a qualified clinician or facilitator about mental health history (especially psychosis, bipolar disorder, severe dissociation, active substance use issues). This is an essential piece of the puzzle to see if you even qualify for this type of treatment…

• Choose trained support

  • Have experienced and well-trained sitters/therapists present. Agree on a plan for grounding (breath, body‑based tools, music) if things get intense and be sure to discuss this prior to your session.

• Start low & go slow

  • Consider psycholytic (low‑to‑moderate) dosing and titration—gradual exposure instead of a big leap—especially if you have trauma history and/or this is your first time with the medicines.

• Mind your set & setting

  • Prepare your mindset, space, and intentions. Use calming music, safe lighting, and trusted people as part of your journey.

• Prioritize integration following your experience

  • Plan at least 1–3 integration sessions (journal, therapy, community circles, psychotherapy, etc.) within two weeks to help you process your experience and set a path forward for continued healing.

Psychedelics and plant medicines are NOT a one-time, cure-all modality, as they require a lot of preparation, adequate support, and post-ceremony integrations to bear fruit and facilitate long-term changes in behavior.

It’s important for you to understand how impactful these medicines can be, only when they’re paired with the adequate support structures around them.

Only then, can you finally see the light towards healing and utilizing these sacred medicines for true growth…

👉️ Subscribe to The Guide for evidence-based takes on psychedelics, research, and integration tools—delivered weekly to your inbox.

🎉 Top Weekly Blog!

Our Top Psychedelic and Plant Medicine Blog from Webdelics

The Webdelics website has over 170+ evidence-based, research-backed blogs that were intentionally written to give you the facts, not just our opinions. 

📚️ Here is this week’s top blog on our site, rated by our readers from last week:

• Exploring Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Functional Seizures

🧠 This article unpacks how psychedelic-assisted therapy may provide new hope for people living with functional seizures, a condition that is often misunderstood and resistant to conventional treatments.

It explores the neuroscience behind these non-epileptic seizures, how psychedelics could reshape neural circuits tied to stress and trauma, and the potential role of integration in creating lasting improvements…

❤️‍🩹 With careful attention to safety, therapeutic frameworks, and patient experiences, this piece highlights a frontier where psychedelics might offer relief for those who have felt overlooked by mainstream medicine.

💬 We Will Leave You With This…

We’re living in interesting times…

And in these interesting times, we have the opportunity to challenge our thinking, knowledge, and what we think to be true versus what could also be true.

At Webdelics, we believe knowledge is the bridge between curiosity and change…

And it’s why we’re building the WebMD of plant medicine and psychedelics, by simplifying research, industry shifts, and policy updates into information that anyone can understand, apply, and share.

We want to play a pivotal role in helping people make educated decisions about whether or not plant medicine is the right choice for them.

We’re grateful you’re on this journey with us!

Until next time…

🧠 The Guide - by Webdelics

Disclaimer: Webdelics does not support or promote any illegal activities, including the use of substances that may be mentioned in this newsletter. We encourage all readers to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the laws in their region. Please note that Webdelics does not offer mental health, medical, or clinical services and should not be used as a replacement for professional medical, psychological, or psychiatric care, diagnosis, or treatment.