The Beckley Foundation’s principal scientific objectives are to investigate the neurophysiology underlying conscious states, and how physiological changes in the brain – that occur with age, meditation, or the ingestion of psychoactive substances – are reflected in changes in our consciousness and cognitive functioning, and how these changes may be beneficial to health and well-being. One of the main purposes of our research is to build an evidence base to inform drug policy decisions, which at the moment is sadly lacking.
Some scientific achievements of the Foundation include:
- in April 2007 the first approvals in modern times to study the effect of LSD on human brain function
- the first fMRI study of a psychedelic compound i.e. psilocybin, which is also the first study in the UK to use a psychedelic
- The development of a device to study non-invasively the interaction of the two intracranial fluid systems, blood and cerebral spinal fluid, and demonstrate how the ageing process affects these systems.
- explorative studies of cranial compliance – a little researched physiological mechanism which as the index diminishes affects cognitive functioning
- research into the potential therapeutic effects of overcoming addiction using psilocybin aided psychotherapy
