Is it just more does the title including "teen" make it sound like this is about humans? I don't usually comment on titles but that seems like a big deal to me.
We need to keep in mind that this is both an outsiders view on the research (i.e. we as readers are missing all the context) and that we are talking about a title. If the information that this work was done in an animal model was missing from the abstract, now that would be a problem. The title only serves to gain the attention of the intended audience.
Wondering if psychedelics could induce the necessary neuro-plasticity for adults to be able to have a similar benefit to what they are showing here for teen mice
Yes they show a characteristic head twitch response under the influence of psychedelics. This is used to test if a new compound is psychedelic in the first place.
There are some theories out their that certain psychedelics do have this effect (see psylocybin (sp?)). I've seen folks with ADD/ADHD -- and people from silicone valley -- say that psylocybin positively affects their ability to concentrate.
The effect that I experienced was that it became physically impossible to procrastinate. I'd try avoiding an unpleasant task by e.g. going on the internet, but I would just be consciously aware that I was sitting in a chair, looking at a screen, trying to avoid thinking about the task.
The only way to get things off my mind was to do them.
I found this quite refreshing.
It also worked with physical mess. Normally mess is background to me. Microdosing made mess un-avoidable, like "a splinter in your mind", I had to keep the place clean if I wanted to maintain my sanity. I appreciated that aspect, it made me make my living space beautiful.
It also seemed to benefit anxiety and depression, at least initially--seemed to swing back into mood swings and depression a few weeks later. Though I can't compare with a version of me who wasn't microdosing, so it may have just been the usual seasonal depression, or the result of lifestyle changes (had moved countries) rather than the microdosing.
I'm vaguely open to trying it again, but I'd have to be at a very good and stable place in life, which sort of defeats the purpose.
Re: Anxiety: its effect on social anxiety is best illustrated by an anecdote. I was getting a vehicle from a garage and on the way out, naturally made casual conversation with a guard. Ordinarily, I consider myself introverted, asocial and somewhat on the spectrum. I socialize "manually" which makes it awkward (not knowing what or when to say).
I think it might have been a boost to curiosity/openness. Normally I wouldn't even notice the guard, or I'd just smile and hope he doesn't start a chat because I wouldn't know what to say, whereas microdosing I was much friendlier and more curious about other people and their experience.
In many ways I "liked myself better" during this time, and wished I could be that way all the time. But it became too unpleasant to continue.
I began to notice patterns in the world you aren't supposed to notice (it would be unwise to elaborate further) and it ended up costing me a few relationships. (Arguably I am just an asshole and it brought that out, but it's certainly a strange contrast to the increased friendliness in the first few weeks.)
Overall, it may have been a net positive, but it's very unclear, and I wouldn't recommend that anyone treat it lightly! Caveat emptor! Those who need it the most are also the most likely to suffer serious complications.
No need to travel all the way to mushrooms. Marijuana is known for increasing ability to concentrate, and it does to a great degree.
It's just that like regular mushroom use, the long term cognitive effects are absolutely counterproductive. Especially for anyone who is neurodivergent and should instead be looking to approach the habits and the state of mind of those who are not and have successful outcomes.
Anecdotal but, on a small dose of LSD I was able to conduct a business meeting better than sober (short term memory and concentration greatly enhanced).
Meanwhile, I once had the bright idea of using marijuana to help me relax while working,
and ended up delivering an entire street of mail to the wrong street.
So, if I had to pick one... On the other hand, microdosing worked for me only for a few weeks, then seemed to ruin my life (see my other comment in this thread) so I certainly wouldn't recommend that lightly either.
Looking super-forward to when the six decade old magical psychedelic promise and cultural noise is finally put to bed. It seems to renew with the help of an unidentifiable whisper in each generation. Speaking for the scads of homeless and induced schizophrenics out there.
Also for my ultra-fucking-annoying aunt who at sixty-five still thinks that she's about to be sacrificed at the altar every time someone gets slightly perturbed with her for trying to violate everyone's boundaries at the dinner table.
My mother always refers to "teenage cats" which is a cat of N years of age which she deems to be somewhere between kitten and full-grown. So sure, why not.
Then there's my niece who refused to be known as a "tween".
I learned relatively recently that "teenager" is a uniquely English phenomenon because of the way we count.
The word might be, but "adolescent" is essentially synonymous and equivalent words exist in other languages (in fact it seems we took it directly from French). And of course the English word has been borrowed into a good many of them anyway.
As an example Polish borrows the concept of "teenager" from English, but because we count differently, then for us 11 and 12 years olds are also "teenagers".
Essentially, perhaps, but "teenager" has bright lines. You're a pre-teen until your 13th birthday, you're unambiguously a teenager until the day you turn twentysomething.
Meanwhile, you've gone through stages such as "pre-pubescent", "adolescent", and "adult" as well as probably "got drunk at a few parties".
The concept of someone between a child and an adult occurs in other languages as well. All of the languages I know have it (which is not necessarily many).
