Can Psychedelics Lead to False Beliefs? with Hugh McGovern, PhD

Can Psychedelics Lead to False Beliefs? with Hugh McGovern, PhD

Author: Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD March 19, 2025 Duration: 37:16
Psychedelic Medicine Podcast with Dr. Lynn Marie Morski
HealthHealth & FitnessFitnessMedicineMental

In this episode, Hugh McGovern, PhD joins to discuss his research on the impact of psychedelics on beliefs. Dr. McGovern is a Research Fellow at the School of Medicine, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.

To start, Dr. McGovern introduces the inference or predictive processing framework utilized in his paper "An Integrated theory of false insights and beliefs under psychedelics". He explains the role of prediction in cognition, showing how insights occur when our existing perspectives are unable to make sense of our experience. In this vein, Dr. McGovern discusses how the psychedelic experience disrupts our normal modes of prediction and perception, leaving room for greater influence of environmental factors on insight production. In closing, Dr. McGovern shares ideas on further clinical directions for this research that could give guidance for helping patients more effectively integrate insight experiences.

 

In this episode you'll hear:

  • The research into how psychedelics can influence and change beliefs
  • The role beliefs and insights can play in psychedelic journeys 
  • How false insights can be experimentally induced
  • The connection between prediction errors in our cognition and insight experiences
  • The hippocampus, memory, and psychedelics
  • The association between insight moments and increased mental health following psychedelic experiences

 

Quotes:

"[In psychedelic experiences] your expectations are no longer helping you make sense of your current sensory experience. And so you're uniquely susceptible to environmental input under psychedelics—which would account for things like visual hallucinations [and] these novel insight moments." [18:30]

"When you have really really strong prediction errors or really really strong insight moments, they can have a disproportionately important influence on your worldview going forward." [20:03]

"Psychedelics, from a few different studies, show they can impair the formation of hippocampally dependent memories but they can perhaps even enhance the formation of cortically dependent memories. So what that means is you come out of the experience with this sense of knowing but it's in some sense lacking in details." [29:04]

 

Links:

"An Integrated theory of false insights and beliefs under psychedelics" by Hugh McGovern et al.

Dr. McGovern on Bluesky

Previous episode: Guruism & Cult Dynamics in Psychedelic Practices with Joseph Holcomb Adams

Psychedelic Medicine Association

Porangui

 


Exploring the frontier of mind and medicine, the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast with Dr. Lynn Marie Morski delves into the complex world of psychedelic substances and their potential to heal. Hosted by Lynn Marie Morski, a physician and attorney, this podcast navigates the intricate intersection of cutting-edge science, clinical practice, and evolving policy. Each episode brings a grounded, expert perspective to conversations about psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, ayahuasca, ibogaine, and other compounds, moving beyond hype to examine the real-world implications of this therapeutic renaissance. Listeners will hear detailed discussions on the latest peer-reviewed research, practical insights from medical professionals integrating these approaches, and thoughtful analysis of the legal landscape shaping access. The dialogue is rooted in a commitment to safety, ethics, and evidence, offering a clear-eyed look at both the profound promise and the challenges inherent in psychedelic medicine. Whether you're a healthcare provider, a patient, a researcher, or simply intellectually curious, this podcast provides an essential, nuanced resource for understanding how these ancient and modern substances are reshaping perspectives on mental health, consciousness, and treatment. It’s a space for serious inquiry, where complex questions about healing, neuroscience, and society are met with informed, accessible conversation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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