Psychedelic therapy

Therapists and researchers are increasingly interested in testing psychedelic drugs to help people struggling with psychological problems, such as depression, for which the pharmacological toolbox has little to offer. In addition to depression, institutions, such as Johns Hopkins, New York University, and UCLA are conducting trials to test the efficacy of psychedelic drugs for people who are dying and who are addicted to alcohol and/or nicotine.  

Dying: For those who are dying, the purpose of using psychedelic drugs is to alleviate anxiety and depression. It seems to work. Almost uniformly, patients come to view death as a transition into another type of existence and rather than the absolute end of everything. They also—even the atheists—have the feeling of being bathed in God’s love. Most also felt powerful feelings of connection to loved ones. Weeks after his session, one man even felt the happiest in his life.

Addiction: Most of the people treated found the experience to be helpful, mostly because they gain a radical new perspective on their lives. They are able let go of a pattern of thinking in which their selves and their addiction are the center of their lives. Apparently, the sense of awe experienced during a psychedelic “trip”—a sense of the small self in the presence of something greater—also enables patients to recognize the harm they’re doing not only to themselves but to loved ones.

Depression: As with electroconvulsive therapy, treatment with psychedelic drugs performs a kind of brain "re-boot." Most of the people treated with psychedelic drugs found their depression had lifted. As one patient said, “it was like a holiday away from the prison of my brain. I felt free, carefree, re-energized…I feel like I used to before the depression.” Unfortunately, more than half of the people treated saw the clouds of their depression eventually return. Nevertheless, they feel they have gained a new perspective on life and been given new hope.

Note: These experimental treatment sessions were conducted with a trained guide in a tightly controlled environment. Don’t try this at home!

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