Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Phase 1 Interventional Ages 21 to 75

Autobiographically meaningful music with psilocybin to shape set and setting

Official title: PRoMiSS: Psilocybin and the Role of Music in Set and Setting

Run by Johns Hopkins University · NCT07180108 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study tests whether personally meaningful music, compared with standard playlists, changes the emotional experience and mood effects of psilocybin in healthy adults aged 21 to 75.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 1
Study typeInterventional
Ages21 Years to 75 Years
SexAll
Enrollment100 (estimated)
SponsorJohns Hopkins University
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Baltimore, Maryland)
StatusRecruiting
StartedAugust 12, 2025
Main results expectedJune 2028
Study endsAugust 2028
Registry record updatedSeptember 15, 2026
Trial IDNCT07180108 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Healthy adults aged 21 to 75 who are fluent in English, have no hearing impairment, are right-handed, and meet medical stability criteria.

Probably not a fit

Individuals with significant medical or psychiatric conditions, or those not matching inclusion criteria, may not benefit from this approach.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

In this phase 1 study, researchers examine how autobiographically salient music versus standardized playlists influences subjective experiences, mood, and well-being during a high-dose psilocybin session. They measure brain and body responses, including EEG, heart rate, respiration, and skin conductance, across five music conditions embedded in a 6-hour session. The goal is to understand if personal music can enhance emotional depth, insight, and lasting mood changes, and how the timing of music affects outcomes. Participants are followed after the session to assess short- and longer-term effects on well-being and meaning-making. This work adds to the growing interest in personalized music as a potential amplifier of psychedelic experiences.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide personalized music approaches to improve emotional outcomes and well-being during psychedelic experiences.

How similar studies have gone: Previous work in psychedelic research supports the role of music in shaping experiences, but this study is among the first to compare autobiographically salient music with standardized playlists during psilocybin.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* • Fluent in English

  * No hearing impairment
  * Right-handed
  * Have a screening weight ≥ 40 kg (88.18 lbs) with BMI ≥16.
  * Be medically stable as determined by screening for medical problems via a personal interview, a medical history, a physical examination, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and routine medical blood and urinalysis laboratory tests
  * Agree to consume approximately the same amount of caffeine-containing beverage (e.g., coffee, tea) that he/she consumes on a usual morning, before arriving at the research unit on the mornings of drug session days. If the participant does not routinely consume caffeinated beverages, he/she must agree not to do so on session days.
  * Agree to refrain from using any psychoactive drugs within 24 hours of each drug administration. The exceptions are caffeine and nicotine, which can be consumed before arriving for drug administration sessions.
  * Agree not to take any as needed (PRN) medications on the mornings of drug sessions
  * Agree not to take sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil, or similar medications within 72 hours of each drug administration.
  * Agree not to use any hair conditioner 24-hours before EEG sessions (Visits 3, 4, and 7)
  * Females of child-bearing potential must agree to use highly effective methods of contraception (defined as use of an intrauterine device, vaginal ring, or implanted or oral hormonal contraceptives) during the study
  * Agree that for one week before each drug session, he/she will refrain from taking any nonprescription medication, nutritional supplement, or herbal supplement except when approved by the study investigators. Exceptions will be evaluated by the study investigators and will include acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs, and common doses of vitamins and minerals.
  * Have limited lifetime use of hallucinogens, if any (the following criteria are preferred: no use in the past 5 years; total hallucinogen use less than 10 times)
  * Proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Exclusion Criteria:

* • Unusually low reward response to music (defined as a majority of responses of "1" on the BMRQ)

  * Women who are pregnant (as indicated by a positive urine pregnancy test assessed at intake and before each drug session) or nursing; women who are of child-bearing potential and sexually active who are not practicing highly effective means of contraception
  * Cardiovascular conditions: coronary artery disease, stroke, angina, uncontrolled hypertension, a clinically significant ECG abnormality (e.g., atrial fibrillation), prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) interval (i.e., QTc \> 450 msec), artificial heart valve, or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the past year
  * Insulin-dependent diabetes; if taking oral hypoglycemic agent, then no history of hypoglycemia
  * Currently taking psychoactive prescription medication on a regular (e.g., daily) basis - exceptions may be made at the discretion of the study team physician for participants taking medications with short half-life if participants are able to abstain from taking the medication during session days (e.g. methylphenidate taken for attention or hyperactivity)
  * Currently taking on a regular (e.g., daily) basis any medications that have a primary centrally-acting serotonergic effect, including Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs). For individuals who have intermittent or PRN use of such medications, psilocybin sessions will not be conducted until at least 5 half-lives of the agent have elapsed after the last dose.
  * Current or past history of meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria for schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders (except substance/medication-induced or due to another medical condition), or Bipolar I Disorder
  * Current or history within one year of meeting DSM-5 criteria for a moderate or severe substance use disorder. If a nicotine user, consuming the equivalent of more than 10 cigarettes per day.
  * Have a first-degree relative with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders, or bipolar disorder with mania (except substance/medication-induced or due to another medical condition)
  * Has a psychiatric condition judged to be incompatible with establishment of rapport or safe exposure to psilocybin
  * History of a medically significant suicide attempt as assessed by a study team clinician
  * Standard MRI contraindications: head trauma, claustrophobia incompatible with scanning, contraindicated medical devices, prior history as a metal worker and/or certain metallic objects in the body -- must complete MRI screening form and be approved by MRI technologist before each scan
  * History of migraine.
  * History of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) angioedema

Where it's running

  • Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research in the Behavioral Biology Research Center
    Baltimore, Maryland, United States
    Recruiting

Study contacts

  • Principal investigator: Frederick S Barrett, PhD — Johns Hopkins University
  • Study coordinator: David S Rosen, PhD
  • Email: drosen9@jh.edu
  • Phone: 609-502-8900

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.