A Molecular Psychiatry paper showed that psychedelics like psilocybin work by activating the 5-HT2A receptor, which drives neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections. This receptor activity boosts mood-regulating pathways, enhances emotional flexibility, and helps explain psilocybin’s lasting antidepressant effects. The findings root today’s psychedelic renaissance in hard neuroscience, linking receptor biology to real-world relief from depression.