Want to Live Longer? Psychedelics Might Extend Your Mental Lifespan
The science behind psychedelics and the pursuit of psychological longevity
Psychedelics aren’t just about the trip — they’re about transformation. That’s what research in the last decade indicates, anyway — that psychedelic-assisted therapy has the potential to transform longevity, particularly when it comes to psychological longevity. But can psychedelics really enable us to live better and potentially longer lives? Here’s what the science has to say on psychedelics for psychological longevity.
What is psychological longevity, and why does it matter?
Psychological longevity refers to the ability to maintain mental well-being and cognitive function over time, extending into old age. It encompasses factors that can contribute to living longer and healthier lives, such as sustaining mental clarity, emotional resilience, and cognitive vitality. Most importantly, the concept of psychological longevity recognises that mental health is a vital component of the longevity puzzle, rather than an afterthought to a focus on physical health. As lifespans continue to extend, psychological longevity will become increasingly pertinent to all of us who want to live well for many years to come.
What If the Key to Mental Longevity Is… Psychedelics?
If psychological longevity is what we are striving for, what exactly are the strategies to adopt? A standout among such strategies is the clinical use of psychedelics for longevity. While yet to make it to the mainstream, there is a surging renaissance of the therapeutic use of psychedelics by those in the know. Elite wellness and medical circles have long been aware of the link between psychedelics and longevity. As such, advanced therapeutics such as psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and other psychedelic-assisted therapies are starting to be integrated into holistic longevity strategies in certain countries, especially in cutting-edge addiction, mental health and longevity clinics.
The crux of the matter is this: psychedelics are known to help mental health. And mental health is a crucial part of living a long and happy life. Sadly, the long-term health protective nature of good mental health is often overlooked. However, with the connection between psychedelics and longevity beginning to enter into the collective consciousness — a 2024 Guardian article referred to psychedelics and longevity as “long-lost best friends” — it may not be very long before the world at large catches on to the potential of using psychedelics for longevity.
What are psychedelics?
Psychedelics are a class of drugs that induce changes in consciousness, including vivid hallucinations and profound psychological and mystical experiences. The core classic psychedelics are:
Psilocybin: the active compound in “magic mushrooms”.
LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide): a synthetic compound derived from ergot fungus.
DMT (N, N-Dimethyltryptamine): found in certain plants and in the ayahuasca brew.
Mescaline: a naturally occurring psychedelic found in peyote and San Pedro cacti.
While most of these compounds are better known for their recreational use, they actually hold significant therapeutic potential in terms of psychological well-being and longevity.
Psychedelic Therapy Through the Ages
Using psychedelics therapeutically is nothing new — there is evidence that they have been used around the world for centuries. For example, shamans have used ayahuasca for healing for over one thousand years. And after the prohibition and stigma of psychedelic compounds such as LSD in the 20th century, the healing potential of psychedelics has been making its way back into public attention since the early 2000s.
As science catches up with this ancient knowledge, it becomes ever clearer that psychedelics offer so much more than simply a euphoric experience. When taken in a controlled, structured manner and combined with talk therapy, psychedelics offer a promising treatment option for a variety of health conditions, including mental health and addiction treatment. Due to the link between mental health and longevity, it is only a matter of time before using psychedelics for longevity makes its way to the mainstream.
The Neuroscience: How Psychedelics Work
What actually happens when you take psychedelics? Psychedelics primarily act on the “feel-good” serotonin system, especially the 5-HT2A receptors in the brain, which play a central role in mood, perception, cognition, and sense of self. By stimulating these receptors, psychedelics induce a temporary alteration in how the brain processes information, leading to profound changes in consciousness, emotion, and self-awareness.
When used in the presence of appropriately trained therapists, psychedelics offer unique therapeutic possibilities due to their ability to promote openness to explore unconscious material — such as memories, thoughts, or beliefs — that may otherwise be avoided and suppressed. Through the experience of going on a psychedelic trip, it becomes possible to build self-awareness and gain new insights that facilitate healing and recovery. As a result, psychedelic-assisted therapy can help with processing trauma, reducing anxiety symptoms, and healing from addictions.
Can psychedelics improve mental longevity?
Due to psychedelics’ potential to boost mental health and facilitate cognitive enhancement, psychedelic-assisted therapy can be seen as a promising psychological longevity treatment option. Here is the latest research into psychedelics and mental health, and psychedelics and longevity that highlights the key mechanisms of psychedelics that can impact longevity:
- Disruption of the Default Mode Network (DMN)
The DMN is a network of brain regions associated with self-referential thinking, rumination, and the “ego”. A 2022 systematic review of default mode network modulation by psychedelics shows that psychedelics modulate DMN activity, potentially explaining the experience of ego dissolution and the ability to see life from a fresh, often broader perspective. This ego dissolution — a temporary loss of one’s rigid sense of self — may support psychological longevity by disrupting long-held thought patterns, emotional defences, and stress-related behaviours that negatively affect long-term mental and physical health.
2. Increasing Brain Connectivity
2022 research into psilocybin for depression used functional MRI studies to show that psilocybin increases communication between brain regions that don’t typically interact. This heightened connectivity supports cognitive flexibility, emotional processing, and psychological resilience — all of which are protective factors for healthy ageing and longevity. By disrupting rigid or maladaptive neural patterns (such as those seen in depression or trauma), it allows the brain to form new, more adaptive pathways, potentially reducing chronic stress and improving mental well-being over time. These changes not only support better decision-making and emotional regulation but may also reduce biological wear and tear, such as neuroinflammation and stress-induced cellular ageing, highlighting the long-term benefits of psilocybin for the brain.
3. Enhancing Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to rewire itself — is a key mechanism supporting healthy ageing. Among the multitude of ways that neuroplasticity promotes psychological longevity are its ability to support learning, cognitive flexibility, memory formation, and emotional resilience — all of which are vital for healthy brain ageing. Compounds like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT are known to promote neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons) and synaptogenesis (the formation of new connections between neurons), supporting the brain’s neuroplasticity. For example, a landmark 2018 study demonstrated that compounds like psilocybin and LSD increase synaptogenesis in rats, highlighting the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for longevity.
4. Facilitating Processing Difficult Emotions and Trauma
Research by the Beckley Foundation into brain activity during the peak of a DMT experience reveals that DMT triggers a reduction in alpha and beta waves (those associated with normal consciousness) and an increase in delta and theta waves (typically present during sleep, particularly when we dream). Such changes may facilitate emotional release, facilitate trauma processing, or lead to novel insights. Psychedelics can also decrease activity in the amygdala, the brain’s fear centre, making it easier to confront difficult memories or emotions without being overwhelmed. In the context of longevity, this suggests a potential connection between DMT and long-term psychological well-being.
5. Reducing Chronic Stress, Depression, Anxiety and Trauma
Long-term psychological stress from mental health conditions accelerates biological ageing. Psychedelic-assisted therapy can help resolve deep-rooted trauma and break cycles of anxiety and depression, thereby lowering the mental and physiological burden of stress. For example, a 2016 study conducted by Johns Hopkins discovered a direct correlation between the intensity of the ‘mystical experience’ and the extent to which the person’s depressive symptoms decreased. The fMRI scans revealed that psilocybin effectively “reset” specific brain circuits directly linked to depression.
6. Protecting Against Cognitive Decline
While research on psychedelics and brain ageing is still emerging, early studies indicate that psychedelics may counteract cognitive decline, bolstering the argument for using psychedelic therapy for ageing minds. This is thought to be thanks to psychedelics’ impact on neuroplasticity and their anti-inflammatory effects, which are known to impact cognitive ageing. For example, a 2018 study found that by activating the 5-HT2A receptor, classic psychedelics may reduce neuroinflammation, which is a key contributor to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
When considered together, this research suggests that psychedelics don’t just temporarily alter perception — they may help the brain reorganise itself in more adaptive, resilient ways that support long-term psychological well-being and potentially contribute to psychological longevity. In essence, psychedelics may offer a groundbreaking pathway not just for healing, but for preserving and enriching the mind, helping individuals remain mentally vibrant, emotionally grounded, and cognitively agile throughout life and well into old age.
Can Psychedelics Help Increase Lifespan?
Beyond potentially extending our healthspan (how long we remain healthy in older age), can psychedelics actually help increase our lifespan by halting or reversing the ageing process? Whether this is the case remains to be seen, but there is a solid argument as to why psychedelic integration for life extension may be plausible. The logic is this: if we feel at peace, emotionally stable, and free of depression, stress, and anxiety, then we will be better equipped to actually do all of the things we know help us live longer. Feeling mentally well gives us the fuel to keep going, as it were.
Are Psychedelics Safe to Take?
Any discussion of using psychedelics must include an underlining of the critical importance of clinical oversight and personalised treatment. There is a big difference between carefully guided therapeutic use and recreational use of psychedelics. To be therapeutic, psychedelics must be taken in a controlled manner, with the “trip” overseen by appropriately trained therapists. Doing so prevents any issues with dosage, quality, and reaction with any other medications, as well as ensuring an ethically and legally sound process.
Psychedelic Longevity Clinics Are Coming — Here’s What They’re Offering
As the clinic that offers the world’s most comprehensive longevity check-up programme, we can see how psychedelic longevity treatment will likely become an increasingly central element of elite longevity-based care. While, at present in Switzerland, the use of psychedelics in a clinical setting is limited, at Paracelsus Recovery, we will be the first ones to use it in broader applications as soon as it becomes more widely legalised.
We can imagine a future — hopefully in the near future — where psychedelic therapy can actively be used to improve psychological longevity. But beyond seeing the substance as a pill to be taken as a one-stop ticket to psychological longevity, psychedelic-assisted therapy must be offered as part of an integrative approach to expanding both healthspan and lifespan. Such an approach appreciates the interconnected nature of the body and mind's systems and the importance — at the centre of it all — of connection.
Remember: your health really is your wealth. The most effective move you can make is to incorporate psychological longevity into your long-term life strategy. You can do all the biohacking and botox you like, but if you do not master your inner world in pursuit of a longer, healthier life, then you are doing yourself a disservice. At Paracelsus Recovery, we are thrilled to be at the forefront of integrating psychedelics into longevity care. If you want to build the foundation for a longer, happier life using the most cutting-edge treatments, please don't hesitate to reach out anytime.
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Paracelsus Recovery
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