Hystelica Research
Hystelica Research Studies
The following Hystelica studies are currently recruiting participants.
Hystelica Publications
Pioneering research published by the Hystelica research team.
Hystelica is proud to announce its first peer-reviewed paper, “Females in Psychedelic Research: A Perspective for Advancing Research and Practice”, published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science.
This influential work, co-authored by Dr. Zahira Ziva Cohen and Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley, emphasizes the importance of female inclusion in psychedelic science, advocating for more gender-specific research and practice in the field.
The paper served as the inspiration and foundation for Hystelica, planting the seed that has grown into a platform dedicated to advancing women’s mental health and psychedelic research.
Frick et al. 2025 – POSTER PRESENTATION – ALPS Conference 2025 – from “The Female Psychedelic Survey” data.
The study asks: does where a woman is in her menstrual cycle – or whether she’s on hormonal contraception – shape the psychedelic experience itself?
What it shows: Using a cross-sectional online survey of 52 women (31 naturally cycling, 21 on hormonal contraceptives), we measured psychedelic experiences with the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ) across its four subscales: Mystical, Positive Mood, Transcendence and Ineffability.
Two findings stand out: Cycle phase matters. Positive Mood scores varied significantly across the four menstrual phases, with the mid-luteal phase scoring higher than the periovulatory phase – a signal that hormonal fluctuation may influence the quality of a psychedelic experience.
Contraception changes the picture. Women on hormonal contraceptives reported both higher and more stable MEQ scores than naturally cycling women – a difference relevant to how future clinical trials are designed and who they include.
Female-Specific Psychedelic Research
Hystelica is conducting an extensive scoping review to evaluate the current data on gender differences in psychedelic use. This research aims to deepen understanding of how experiences with psychedelics may vary across genders, with a focus on female psychedelic users.
As part of the study, initial surveys will be distributed to a larger sample of women who have used psychedelics. The collected data will help identify key trends, patterns, and potential influences, enabling us to form evidence-based hypotheses about the unique experiences of women in psychedelic contexts.
Our mission is to build a strong, data-driven foundation for gender-inclusive psychedelic research and policy development. By addressing the existing gaps in data, we aim to ensure that women’s unique biological and psychological needs are represented in psychedelic science.
We actively collaborate with academic thought leaders to investigate the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for women-specific disorders. This includes conditions that have historically been underrepresented in clinical research.
In addition, we are seeking partnerships with ongoing clinical and observational trials to integrate female-specific data points. These insights will help us understand how psychedelics may uniquely affect women’s bodies—or how women’s biology may shape their experiences with these substances.
Expected Outcomes
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