Psychedelics: The State of the Science in 2026 – Interview with Sandeep Nayak, MD

What actually makes psychedelic therapy work? Is it the drug, the therapeutic setting, or the human relationship between therapist and participant? At ICPR 2026, we spoke with psychiatrist and researcher Sandeep Nayak about clinical trials, common therapeutic factors, and how the field can better understand the mechanisms behind psychedelic-assisted treatment.



Chapters:

00:00 Intro
00:29 Could you introduce yourself?
01:33 Is psychedelic therapy a major pharmacological innovation?
02:12 Will psychedelic therapy become mainstream?
03:06 What is evidence and what is hype?
04:02 Where do psychedelics seem to work?
05:15 How do you see the FDA decision on MDMA?
07:15 What are the main methodological problems?
08:59 How do you see the psychedelic renaissance now?
11:02 Can researchers impose cultural values on participants?
12:43 What research questions matter most now?
15:05 Which theory of psychedelic action do you favor?
17:33 Can microdosing be effective?
19:01 Can the drug effect be separated from the experience?
20:25 Can you share a memorable patient story?
23:28 What is the potential for treating addiction?
26:04 What other conditions could psychedelics help?
27:19 Could group therapy reduce costs?
28:24 How do you see political support from pseudoscientific voices?

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