Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say

A Washington, D.C., resident has an operation growing psilocybin mushrooms. Brain researchers are increasingly studying psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and LSD as potential treatments for anxiety, depression and other disorders. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

One of the hottest tickets at this year's Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego was a session on psychedelic drugs.

About 1,000 brain scientists squeezed into an auditorium at the San Diego Convention Center for the symposium, called Psychedelics and Neural Plasticity.