Psychedelic Drugs

You may not realize that psychedelic drugs are not the creation of the hippie generation. Most have been around for thousands of years primarily used by indigenous tribes throughout the world going back to the shamans that inhabited the Amazon basin before recorded history. Invariably, these substances originate from plants native to the region by those that discovered and used them. Ayahuasca, Psilocybin mushrooms, and Iboga are examples from around the world. Peyote has been used by native North Americans since at least 5500 years ago.

Recently, there has been an uptick in interest in psychedelic drug therapy. It has been studied for both positive and negative reactions that the brain experiences when exposed to psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, and MDMA. Researchers attempt to pinpoint the specific brain areas the substances affect the most.

On December 12, The New York Times spotlighted the rising popularity of psychedelic drugs, a trend gaining momentum across various circles, including business and tech. You might be surprised to learn that renowned figures like Cary Grant, Steve Jobs, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk have openly shared their experiences with psychedelics—and, almost universally, they report transformative, positive effects.

From 1958 to 1962, Cary Grant had over 100 LSD sessions, and he credited LSD with “saving his life.” Grant's intense LSD psychotherapy sessions of 1959 provide a template for Edward J. Delaney's 2022 novel The Acrobat—a new addition to the rather obscure genre of the LSD novel.

Today, an increasing number of business leaders are crediting psychedelics with helping them become more calm, empathetic, and purpose-driven at work. Mark Williamson, former Chief Operating Officer of MasterClass, began exploring psychedelics with a therapist in 2020 during a period of rapid company growth. Similarly, Chip Conley, a former Airbnb executive, has observed friends in the business world using psychedelics to manage their egos and uncover deeper professional purpose.

Please understand that I am not advocating the use of psychedelic drugs. My aim is to present accurate and unbiased scientific and social information, allowing you to draw your own conclusions. While I have my own opinions, I make every effort to ensure they do not influence my writing.

It is always important to be honest—with yourself and with others. Engaging in open, thoughtful discussions about topics like this can help foster a more enlightened and capable society, better equipped to navigate controversy with understanding and respect.

What Is Psychedelic Therapy?

Psychedelic therapy incorporates the controlled use of psychedelic substances. Unlike traditional therapy, clinicians use substances such as psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, and MDMA to supplement counseling sessions.

The idea is that with the inclusion of psychedelics, the person will have an altered state of consciousness and be open to more profound emotional healing and personal growth.

Psychedelic therapy offers several purported benefits, including:

• Rapid and long-lasting results: Psychedelic therapy has been shown to help achieve significant improvements in mental health in a relatively short period. Participants in psychedelic therapy trials have reported positive effects that have lasted long after treatment ended.

• Help with emotional processing: Psychedelics have been linked to deep emotional processing, which allows the patient to explore trauma, fear, and anxiety in new ways.

• Creation of new neural connections: Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new connections. When this occurs, lasting changes in the neural pathways can lead to improved mental health outcomes.

• Spiritual exploration: Psychedelic therapy may offer an opportunity for individuals to explore the spiritual dimensions of their lives. This exploration can lead to a sense of meaning and purpose they felt was previously missing.

How Psychedelics Affect the Brain

Psychedelics work by affecting certain parts of the brain that respond to serotonin, a chemical that influences how we feel and how our body functions. They work like a lock and key—serotonin fits into these areas of the brain and changes mood and body functions.

Psychedelics affect specific receptors that lead to an increase in serotonin levels. Once the serotonin levels in the brain surge, individuals can experience changes in their thought patterns and feel different emotions.

When psychedelic drugs activate certain receptors, it reduces the energy needed for the brain to switch between different activity states. Through the rapid release of serotonin, individuals can have an increased ability to revisit and process memories and traumas.

The exposure also allows for periods of neuroplasticity to enable new connections and perspectives.

Research suggests that psychedelics can temporarily disrupt the brain’s default mode network (DMN). The DMN refers to parts of the brain that are most active during passive tasks and less active during tasks that require attentiveness.

By suppressing the DMN, psychedelics create an opportunity for new neural connections to form.

Imaging studies have found that psychedelics can increase connectivity between different brain regions that are usually separated. With the disruption of the standard organization of the brain, the belief is that thinking patterns can be more flexible.

Uses of Psychedelic Therapy to Treat Mental Health Conditions

During phase studies, psychedelic therapy has shown promise in the treatment of various mental health conditions. The following are different mental health conditions that may respond well to treatment with psychedelic drugs.

Depression

Depression is more than just feeling down and sometimes requires medical interventions to treat. Traditional treatments may include antidepressant medications and psychotherapy.

However, these options may not be effective for everyone and can cause some individuals to seek alternative options. For instance, recent studies have shown using psilocybin can produce fast-acting antidepressant effects.

In 2022, a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that psilocybin was an effective treatment for individuals with major depressive disorder for up to a year after participation. The study participants had a long-term history of depression.

At follow-up visits, subjects reported significant decreases in depression symptoms, with results seen after one to two doses.

Learn more about depression

Anxiety Disorders

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can significantly impact an individual’s daily life.

Psychedelic therapy has shown promise in reducing anxiety symptoms by helping individuals gain a new perspective on their fears and worries.

Learn more about anxiety

PTSD and Trauma Disorders

Mental health professionals often find post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related disorders challenging to treat. Depending on the treatment method, the clinician may focus on managing symptoms such as sleep disruptions and an overwhelming sense of fear.

Psychedelic therapy for PTSD, mainly using MDMA, has been studied as a potential treatment option. When used for trauma, MDMA has shown promise in reducing trauma symptoms, such as flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, and extreme outbursts.

Significant reductions in PTSD symptoms were reported in a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Participants in the study also stated they had very few adverse effects while using psychedelics as part of their treatment for PTSD.

Learn more about trauma and PTSD

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are complicated mental health conditions. Combining psychedelic therapy with traditional psychotherapy may aid individuals with eating disorders.

Together, these treatments aim to help individuals gain insight into any underlying emotional issues and develop healthier relationships with food and their bodies.

Learn more about eating disorders

Substance Use/Addiction

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic condition and those diagnosed with alcohol addiction often cannot stop drinking despite adverse consequences. Traditional treatments, like rehabilitation programs, are effective for some individuals.

However, the recurrence of alcohol use disorder is high, and many struggle with long-term sobriety. Psychedelic therapy, using psilocybin as a treatment medication, has shown promise in reducing alcohol cravings.

Addiction to other substances, such as opioids, cocaine, or methamphetamine, can also be considered for psychedelic therapy. Similar to alcohol addiction recovery, the goal of treatment is to break addictive patterns and support long-term recovery goals.

Learn more about addiction

End-of-Life Care

Psychedelic-assisted therapy has also been explored as a supportive tool for individuals facing end-of-life care. The goal of this type of care is to help individuals through the mental health toll that can come with facing death.

Using psilocybin or MDMA may help individuals navigate existential fears, find meaning in their lives, and alleviate extreme anxiety surrounding death.

In summary, psychedelic therapy enhances neuroplasticity by altering the brain's existing biochemistry. This creates a state where reprogramming becomes possible, akin to rebooting a computer. While this reprogramming can occur intrinsically, it is far more effective when guided by a trained professional with expertise in this type of therapy.

In the past, when modern specialists were unavailable, shamans or medicine men often served as spiritual guides for individuals using these substances. Now, consider this approach compared to taking an antidepressant for example, where the patient is prescribed medication and sent home to manage their condition largely on their own, often without additional guidance or support.

A significant difference, is that changes that occur as a result of psychedelic therapy tend to be more long-lasting, and do not depend on the continued use of the drug…

The CIA's Secret Quest for Mind Control

During the early period of the Cold War, the CIA became convinced that communists had discovered a drug or technique that would allow them to control human minds. In response, the CIA began its own secret program, called MK-ULTRA, to search for a mind control drug that could be weaponized against enemies.

MK-ULTRA, which operated from the 1950s until the early '60s, was created and run by a chemist named Sidney Gottlieb. Some of Gottlieb's experiments were covertly funded at universities and research centers. Many of his unwitting subjects endured psychological torture ranging from electroshock to high doses of LSD.

In the early 1950s, he had the CIA spend $240,000 to buy all the LSD available worldwide. He brought it to the U.S. and distributed it to hospitals, clinics, prisons, and other institutions, using fake foundations to fund research on its effects and potential for mind control.

Now, the people who volunteered for these experiments and began taking LSD, in many cases, found it very pleasurable. They told their friends about it. Who were those people? Ken Kesey, the author One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, got his LSD in an experiment sponsored by the CIA by MK-ULTRA, by Sidney Gottlieb. So did Robert Hunter, the lyricist for the Grateful Dead, which went on to become a great purveyor of LSD culture. Allen Ginsberg, the poet who preached the value of the great personal adventure of using LSD, got his first LSD from Sidney Gottlieb. Although, of course, he never knew that name.

Ultimately, Gottlieb concluded that mind control was not possible. After MK-ULTRA shut down, he went on to lead a CIA program that created poisons and high-tech gadgets for spies to use.

Medical/Educational Research

Johns Hopkins Medicine was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the potential impacts of psilocybin on tobacco addiction. This is the first NIH grant awarded in over a half century to directly investigate the therapeutic effects of a classic psychedelic, consistent with a recent study published online that searched NIH funding and found zero grants were awarded between 2006 and 2020.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is at the forefront of exploring groundbreaking treatments with psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in "magic mushrooms." Thanks to its unique molecular structure, psilocybin can penetrate the central nervous system, offering intriguing possibilities for therapeutic applications. Researchers are only beginning to unravel its effects on the brain and mind, paving the way for its potential to transform the treatment of mental illnesses.

If you have lingering concerns about psychedelics and their use in achieving lasting improvements in mental health—particularly for severe conditions and addictions stemming from existential anxiety in individuals facing life-threatening cancer, alcohol dependency, smoking addiction, or major depression—you should watch this 15:58 TED Med video. It’s especially relevant if you, or someone you know, is struggling with severe depression or coping with the challenges of a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.

If you listen until the end, you may be surprised to hear the same philosophical beliefs that have become central to my writing…Everything in our world is connected, and we must work together as one to solve problems, if we hope to continue to evolve and improve as humans.

The Science of Psilocybin and its use to Relieve Suffering

How to Find Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Near You

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Until next time take care and stay POSITIVE…Dr. G

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