A Sense of Wonder: Psychedelics and Smell Loss

When the world smells different

Smell difficulties take several forms: anosmia is an absence of smell; hyposmia, sometimes called microsmia, is reduced smell; parosmia means an existing scent smells distorted; and phantosmia means perceiving an odor without an external source. These experiences can affect eating, daily activities, and emotional well-being. [1]

What have researchers actually reported?

Kovacevich and colleagues’ 2023 report described three people: a man with post-infection reduced smell, a woman with anosmia since childhood, and a woman with COVID-related anosmia. All reported improvement following naturalistic use of psilocybin mushrooms or LSD; the COVID-related case involved microdosing. This was not a controlled trial. [2]

Without a comparison group, these reports cannot establish causation, a success rate, an effective dose, or who might benefit.

In Sams and colleagues’ 2026 two-case report from Jamaica, one patient with approximately three years of COVID-related smell and taste loss reported an 80–90% return of smell after mushroom-assisted psychotherapy. That percentage described her experience, not a treatment success rate. [3]

No objective smell or taste tests were performed. Treatment combined psychotherapy, microdosing, a larger-dose session, and integration; their individual contributions were inseparable. The authors noted that natural recovery remained possible. The case therefore cannot establish that psilocybin caused sensory recovery. [3]

Why the idea has scientific interest

Neuroplasticity is the nervous system’s capacity to adapt its structure and function. A review by Calder and Hasler discusses evidence that classic psychedelics can influence plasticity-related processes, including changes in connections between neurons. Much of the direct cellular evidence comes from animal studies; human measurements are more indirect and sometimes inconsistent. [4]

Serotonin signaling, neuroplasticity, and anti-inflammatory effects are proposed explanations for the smell reports—not demonstrated mechanisms of olfactory repair in those patients. [2]

A forest’s connected roots offer a beautiful metaphor for adaptation. Scientifically, however, evidence that a compound changes neural signaling does not by itself show that it restores a damaged sense. That connection needs testing.

What about parosmia and phantom smells?

These case reports do not establish treatment benefits for parosmia, phantosmia, or every cause of smell dysfunction. Benefits cannot be assumed across conditions. [2] [3]

Useful future trials would combine an appropriate comparison group with validated smell tests, measures of distortion and daily functioning, and follow-up after acute drug effects have ended. Distinguishing a lasting change from a temporary change in perception is essential.

Care that is available now

Persistent smell changes deserve evaluation by a qualified clinician, often an ear, nose, and throat specialist. A 2023 clinical review identifies olfactory training—structured, repeated exposure to scents—as a first-line approach for post-viral smell loss. Recovery can be slow and sometimes occurs after years, which also complicates interpretation of uncontrolled treatment reports. [1]

Psychedelic use has risks. A 2024 meta-analysis of six psilocybin trials in depression or anxiety found increased risks of headache, nausea, anxiety, dizziness, and elevated blood pressure compared with the included comparators. Those findings do not establish safety for people with smell disorders or for unsupervised use. [5]

These preliminary observations are not a reason to self-treat smell loss, change prescribed medication, or substitute a psychedelic experience for medical assessment. Any discussion of an investigational intervention belongs with a qualified clinician.

Curiosity, with roots in discernment

At Golden Grove, wonder and careful reading can share the same ground. Reports of reconnection with scent deserve thoughtful attention. So do the people still living with uncertainty, frustration, and an altered relationship to familiar places and foods.

We can welcome a promising question without turning it into a promise. For now, psychedelics and smell recovery remain an emerging research topic. Our commitment is to keep learning, name the limits of the evidence, and make room for hope without asking it to stand in for proof.

References & research notes

Only peer-reviewed scholarly articles published within the five-year window ending October 31, 2026 are cited below. This is a focused educational overview, not a systematic review. The artwork is an imaginative illustration, not evidence of a medical effect.

1. Liu ZY, Vaira LA, Boscolo-Rizzo P, et al. (2023). Post-viral olfactory loss and parosmia. BMJ Medicine, 2:e000382. doi:10.1136/bmjmed-2022-000382.
Peer-reviewed clinical review; definitions and established care.

2. Kovacevich A, Weleff J, Claytor B, Barnett BS. (2023). Three Cases of Reported Improvement in Microsmia and Anosmia Following Naturalistic Use of Psilocybin and LSD. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 55(5), 672–679. doi:10.1080/02791072.2023.2253538.
Three uncontrolled case reports; direct but preliminary smell-related observations.

3. Sams CH, Davis J, Ramdas A, et al. (2026). Psilocybin-containing mushroom-assisted psychotherapy is associated with sustained psychological and somatic improvements: two case studies from Jamaica. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17:1876189. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1876189.
Two-case report; one patient described smell and taste improvement.

4. Calder AE, Hasler G. (2023; first published online September 19, 2022). Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity. Neuropsychopharmacology, 48, 104–112. doi:10.1038/s41386-022-01389-z.
Mechanistic review; not a trial of smell recovery.

5. Yerubandi A, Thomas JE, Bhuiya NMMA, et al. (2024). Acute Adverse Effects of Therapeutic Doses of Psilocybin: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Network Open, 7(4):e245960. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5960.
Safety evidence from depression and anxiety trials; not smell-disorder treatment evidence.