Maria Bǎlǎeț, PhD is a cognitive neuroscientist who has explored how the use of psychedelics “in the wild” might impact both cognition and mental health.

She discusses her experiences with the Great British Intelligence Test and her research on the mental health resilience of psychedelic users during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she uncovered some unexpected results.

We also talk about the influence of public discourse on the effects of psychedelic experiences, particularly highlighting the nocebo effect. Additionally, we explore what effective science communication looks like, what the public can teach scientists about psychedelics, and the discrepancies between what is researched and what is actually relevant to people.

We also touch on a topic that many might find even more surprising than psychedelic-induced states—childbirth as a pleasant, mushroom-like altered state of consciousness. This idea is based on Maria’s recent case report, and she shares where she hopes this line of research will lead.

Interestingly, this conversation evolves into a broader discussion about how set and setting apply to all aspects of life, not just psychedelic use.

Maria’s social media account:

X: @emmsskyyy

Papers we discuss:

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371598104_Associations_between_the_use_of_psychedelics_and_other_recreational_drugs_with_mental_health_and_resilience_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380509147_Considering_the_nocebo_effect_in_the_psychedelic_discourse
• https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/aop/article-10.1556-2054.2025.00362/article-10.1556-2054.2025.00362.xml
• https://osf.io/preprints/osf/g3xau_v1

Book I mention with aspects of a nocebo experience: The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience by Robert Masters and Jean Houston

Nocebo-like temporary effects are described on page 20 of the pdf - https://psychonautdocs.com/docs/thevarieties.pdf

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